Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Jawad Sarif has now received an entry visa for the US to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mussawi said on Thursday night on Twitter. Sarif will thus leave Tehran in the direction of New York on Friday as planned, the spokesman added. This should also President Hassan Rohani, whose visa was not issued until Wednesday, as scheduled to arrive in New York early next week.
Dispute between Sarif and Pompeo
Later that afternoon, Sarif had accused his US counterpart Mike Pompeo of denying the Iranian delegation entry visas for attending the UN General Assembly in New York. The US was obliged to hand over visas to the UN delegations. "Minister Mike Pompeo, however, is trying to deviate from this obligation with self-fabricated provisions," tweeted Sarif. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, "If it were up to me, I would let her come here."
Pompeo blamed Iran directly on attacks on important oil facilities in Saudi Arabia previously known to the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen. They are supported by Iran. Trump wants to "strengthen" the sanctions against Iran because of the attacks. Tehran has rejected the US allegations and denied any involvement.
Politics of "maximum pressure"
Since Trump's unilateral termination of its nuclear deal with Iran over a year ago, tensions between Washington and Tehran have continued to grow. The US wants to use harsh sanctions and a policy of "maximum pressure" to persuade Iran to agree to a new deal with stricter conditions and stop supporting terrorist groups in the region.
The multi-day general debate of the UN General Assembly will begin next Tuesday with a report by the UN Secretary-General. Ruhani's speech is scheduled for Wednesday. An occasionally held meeting Ruhani with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly is now considered unlikely.
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