The United States has denied a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that would have allowed him to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday, a US official said.
Monday's comments by the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, came as tensions escalate between the two countries after the United States killed Iran's most prominent military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad on Friday.
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Under the 1947 UN "headquarters agreement," the United States is generally required to allow access to the United Nations for foreign diplomats. But Washington says it can deny visas for "security, terrorism, and foreign policy" reasons.
The US State Department declined immediate comment. Iran's mission to the United Nations said: "We have seen the media reports, but we have not received any official communication from either the US or the UN regarding Foreign Minister Zarif's visa."
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric declined to comment on the US denial of a visa for Zarif.
Zarif wanted to attend a meeting of the Security Council on Thursday on the topic of upholding the UN Charter. The meeting and Zarif's travel had been planned before the latest flare-up in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The Security Council meeting would have given Zarif a global spotlight to publicly criticize the United States for killing Soleimani.
Iran's UN envoy, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, has described the killing of Soleimani as "an obvious example of state terrorism and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including, in particular ... the Charter of the United Nations."
Zarif last traveled to New York in September for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations – after the United States sanctioned him for implementing "the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader."
Meanwhile, EU diplomats said on Monday that European parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could launch a dispute resolution process this week that might lead to renewed UN sanctions on Tehran.
Iran took a further step back from its commitments to the 2015 pact with six world powers by announcing on Sunday that it would scrap limits on enriching uranium, though it said it would continue to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Confirming an emergency meeting of the European Union's 28 foreign ministers would take place on Friday, an EU diplomat said: "We must be ready to react to Iran's breaches of the nuclear deal."
Asked whether this could mean triggering a mechanism that could reimpose international sanctions on Tehran, the envoy said: "It is increasingly likely, but not yet decided. Friday will be key."
Two other diplomats said France, Britain, and Germany could make the decision before Friday.
Asked whether the mechanism would be triggered, one of the diplomats said: "Not later than Friday, but yes."
