Iran's Rouhani may skip UN meet over US visa delay: State media

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and his delegation could be forced into skipping next week's UN General Assembly because the United States has yet to issue them visas, state media said Wednesday.

Rouhani and his delegation had been scheduled to travel to New York for the annual UN gathering on Monday, but that was now looking unlikely, state news agency IRNA said.

"If the visas aren't issued in a few hours, this trip will probably be cancelled," it reported.

The delegation includes Iran's top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif, against whom the United States imposed sanctions on July 31.

The foreign minister had been due to travel to New York on Friday morning, according to IRNA.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to comment specifically on the case, but he suggested the Iranians should be denied visas.

"We don't talk about granting or absence of granting of visas," Pompeo told reporters travelling with him to Saudi Arabia.

"If you're connected to a foreign terrorist organisation, I don't know," he added.

"Seems to me it would be a reason to think about whether they have to be permitted to attend a meeting which is about peace."
"Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has not left the scene and it continues its active diplomacy, the US government must answer for its behaviour."