Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A senior Iranian military official has urged the foreign ministry to name a new envoy to the U.N. after the U.S. blocked its chosen ambassador over alleged ties to the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Semiofficial Fars news agency also quoted Gen. Mohammad Bagherzadeh as saying Saturday that Hamid Aboutalebi should remain close to his mother because the family lost two sons during the 1980-88 war with Iraq.
President Barack Obama signed legislation Friday aimed at blocking Aboutalebi from entering the U.S. Tehran has refused to name a different envoy after Washington refused to grant him an entry visa. Iran says it is challenging the U.S. "through legal channels." Iranian lawmakers say American opposition to Aboutalebi's entry is a misuse of the geographical location of the U.N.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
