‘Systematic harassment’: FM spox raps US’ ‘cheap’ restrictions on Iranian diplomats
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has rebuked “cheap” restrictions imposed by the US administration on Iranian diplomats in New York, describing the systematic harassment of the Islamic Republic’s delegates as yet another indication of Washington’s animosity toward Iranians.
Esmaeil Baghaei made the statement in a post on X on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump’s administration put a stringent curb on Iranian diplomats’ movements in New York and denied visas to a number of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s media team to attend the 80th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Baghaei said the limitations, which include restrictions on daily activities such as grocery shopping, were mainly aimed at “disrupting Iran’s diplomatic performance” during the UN General Assembly.
The spokesman also censured the curbs as “a blatant violation” of US obligations under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement.
“The real objective behind the increasing restrictions imposed by the US administration on Iranian diplomats and their dependants in New York is to disrupt Iran’s diplomatic performance within the United Nations. The US systematic harrasment of Iranian diplomats has obstructed the Iranian delegates from attending several multilateral events that were held outside the so-called ‘permitted parameters’ during this week only,” Baghaei said.
“Applying such cheap restrictions on our diplomats’ movements and even on their daily grocery shopping is not only a blatant violation of the US obligations under the Headquarters Agreement but also a new low in terms of showcasing the extent of animosity of US administration toward Iranians,” he added.
The illegal move by the Trump administration comes as President Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the 80th UNGA later on Wednesday amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and the looming reimposition of UN sanctions in the wake of a 12-day war of aggression in June.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked aggression against Iran, initiating a 12-day war that resulted in at least 1,064 Iranian casualties, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.
The United States further escalated the conflict by unlawfully bombing three peaceful Iranian nuclear facilities.
Through successful retaliatory operations, Iran effectively halted the terrorist assault by forcing the regime to acquiesce to a ceasefire.
