Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a press conference today that he has not gone to the US as a travel, he only went there for taking part in UN meeting.

Iran Press/ Iran news: Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking at a press conference in Tehran on Monday, stressed: "In a trip to New York recently, I was told that I would be sanctioned within two weeks, unless I accepted an invitation from Donald Trump for a meeting at the White House. An invitation which I am so thankful to God that I turned down, and I am being sanctioned today of course."

"I had a trip to New York to attend UN events and the UN General Assembly meeting. There is no comparison between my trips and others," Zarif added.

He went on to say: "Today I am confined to the vicinity of the United Nations building in New York. But this is not a problem for me since I visit New York only very rarely and for just a few days. But as far as my colleagues at Iran's diplomatic mission at the UN are concerned, they live permanently in New York, they are residents of New York, and confining them to just the UN building and area near-by is an inhumane and unjustifiable action."

"Despite all that they declare, Americans are not accorded the freedom of speech. It is because of that I have never announced publicly who I am going to visit whilst in New York," Zarif pointed out.

On the eve of the National Reporter's Day, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif answered several questions of Iranian and foreign media reporters in 120 minutes.207/211/209

Read more:

Zarif: Iran's security is not tradable

Iran's Zarif: US is responsible for economic terrorism