Iran managed to find a new envoy as permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, 10 months after the US refused to accept its first choice.
The new candidate, Gholamali Khoshru is a career diplomat who previously served as Iran's ambassador to the UN. He is a moderate with close ties to the reformist camp of former President Mohammad Khatami. Mr Khoshru served as Iran's deputy foreign minister from 2002 to 2005 and he is currently Iran's ambassador to Switzerland.
Last year, Iran’s UN nominee, Hamid Aboutalebi, was denied a US visa for his supposed role in the Tehran hostage crisis in 1979. Allegedly, Hamid Aboutalebi acted as translator during the hostage crisis.
But according to the Iranian regime, by not granting visa to its nominee, the US had
violated the treaty it signed in 1947, when New York became the headquarters of the United
Nations. That treaty binds Washington to grant visas to diplomats from UN member states.
However, the US has made it clear that it can deny visas for security, foreign policy and terrorism reasons.
When it broke, the diplomatic row was thought to complicate or eventually derail the nuclear talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group. But retrospectively, the case of Hamid Aboutalebi seems to have had a negligible effect on the stalled talks.
If Mr Khoshru gets approved by the United States, which is very likely, according to diplomatic sources, it can remove a major strain on Tehran's tense relations with Washington.
The new candidate, Gholamali Khoshru is a career diplomat who previously served as Iran's ambassador to the UN. He is a moderate with close ties to the reformist camp of former President Mohammad Khatami. Mr Khoshru served as Iran's deputy foreign minister from 2002 to 2005 and he is currently Iran's ambassador to Switzerland.
Last year, Iran’s UN nominee, Hamid Aboutalebi, was denied a US visa for his supposed role in the Tehran hostage crisis in 1979. Allegedly, Hamid Aboutalebi acted as translator during the hostage crisis.
But according to the Iranian regime, by not granting visa to its nominee, the US had
violated the treaty it signed in 1947, when New York became the headquarters of the United
Nations. That treaty binds Washington to grant visas to diplomats from UN member states.
However, the US has made it clear that it can deny visas for security, foreign policy and terrorism reasons.
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| www.bbc.co.uk |
When it broke, the diplomatic row was thought to complicate or eventually derail the nuclear talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group. But retrospectively, the case of Hamid Aboutalebi seems to have had a negligible effect on the stalled talks.
If Mr Khoshru gets approved by the United States, which is very likely, according to diplomatic sources, it can remove a major strain on Tehran's tense relations with Washington.