TEHRAN — Iran warned Washington on Saturday against taking the United Nations “hostage” by rejecting visas for Iranian delegates led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a nuclear conference in New York.
“The issuing of visas to the delegation and officials of any country coming to participate at the UN in the United States is obligatory on the part of American officials,” Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters.
“The US government has no right to use the issuance of visas as a tool against other countries. The US government… should not take the UN and the UNSC (UN Security Council) hostage.”
The hardline Ahmadinejad is set to propose reforms to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), one of his senior advisers was quoted on Saturday as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
“The president will outline important proposals for reforming the NPT,” Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi said, adding that the visit also “aims to defend the right of the Iranian nation.
“With his presence in the NPT review meeting, the president will frankly inform the world about Iranian nation’s stance.”
The United States said on Friday it has begun approving visas for Iranian applicants for the review conference.
“We’re working through them,” US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said when asked about the status of the Iranian team’s visa applications.
“Some of them have been issued. Not all,” he said, adding that he did not know whether Ahmadinejad’s was among those approved.
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