UNITED NATIONS — Iran has formally protested Washington’s refusal to grant a visa to its new UN ambassador, saying the move damages international diplomacy and sets a ‘‘dangerous’’ precedent.
The US State Department and the White House have said that Iran’s selection of Hamid Aboutalebi to be its United Nations envoy is not acceptable. Aboutalebi was a member of the group responsible for the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran that held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Aboutalebi has insisted his involvement in the group was limited to translation and negotiation.
Iran’s UN Mission sent a delegation to meet with the UN’s office of legal affairs Tuesday about the issue, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The Iranian Mission filed a letter with the UN’s Committee on Relations with the Host Country.
The 19-nation Host Country committee can hold a hearing on the issue but cannot change the US decision. The United States is one of the members of the committee, which is to meet on April 22.
Iran’s letter said the United States was breaching its obligations under the US-UN Host Country Agreement, which is a treaty and US law that generally requires the host country to allow access to diplomats and UN guest speakers.
The United States has said there are loopholes that allow it to refuse a visa to people considered a danger to the United States.