In rare public move, envoys of US and Iran talk after UNSC meeting

The US Ambassador to the United Nations made a rare compassionate public gesture toward her Iranian counterpart in the Security Council chamber on Thursday, expressing condolences over the death of an Iranian toddler.

Since Washington pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, tensions between the United States and Tehran have risen.

But after a contentious U.N. Security Council meeting on compliance with the 2015 accord between world powers and Iran, Ambassador Kelly Craft walked over to talk to Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi.

Ravanchi had spoken about a two-year old girl during his statement to the 15-member council. 

He said the girl had died in June from a rare disease known as EB and blamed the death on US sanctions. 

Iran’s U.N. mission spokesman Alireza Miryousefi said they “merely had a short conversation on EB patients affected by sanctions”.