Iran Press/America: The US State Department said on Friday that it would only approve the visit of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Iran's permanent envoy at the United Nations, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, if Iran releases an American citizen who has been detained in Tehran.
The US government’s move to reject Zarif’s request to visit a 40-year friend was reported on Friday by Foreign Policy Magazine, and quotes from US and Iranian officials seem to confirm the report.
According to Iran Press, “Foreign Minister Zarif would like to visit a colleague who is in the hospital receiving world-class care,” said a State Department spokesperson.
“We have relayed to the Iranian mission that the travel request will be granted if Iran releases a US citizen,” the spokesperson added.
Takht Ravanchi is currently hospitalised in a New York City hospital and outside of the UN headquarters.
The US government has imposed broad restrictions on the movement of Iranian diplomats in New York.
The Iranian delegation can only travel between the UN headquarters, the Iranian mission in the UN, the residence of the Iranian ambassador to the UN, and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi criticized the US inhumane action, preventing Zarif from meeting his former deputy, and the current permanent representative of Iran at the UN in New York.
In an Instagram post on Friday, Araghchi wished Takht-Ravanchi good health and wrote: "God willing Majid Takht-Ravanchi will soon recover and return to his post, but disgrace will remain for a government taking hostage humanitarian issues for political goals."
"Our hearts, our souls and our thoughts are with Majid and we pray for him to get better. God willing, he will soon be discharged from the hospital just as energised, committed, and loving, as he has always been," added the top diplomat.
The US also delayed the issuing of visas to the senior Iranian delegation, including president Hassan Rouhani and foreign minister Mohammad Javd Zarif, and other senior diplomats and officials attending the 74th meeting of the UN General Assembly, in violation of UN laws.
On Aug 01, 2019, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Zarif, in the latest effort by Washington to ratchet up its “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.
The imposition of sanctions against Zarif comes just one month after Washington took the dramatic step of sanctioning the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
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