Hamid Abutalebi, Iran's proposed U.N. ambassador, gestures in this undated handout photo provided by President.ir. The United States said on Friday it would not grant a visa to Abutalebi, citing the envoy's links to the 1979-1981 hostage crisis, in a rare step that raises questions about how much influence the White House can wield over the world body. REUTERS/President.ir/Handout via Reuters
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran on Saturday rejected a U.S. decision to deny a visa for its newly appointed ambassador to the United Nations, pledging to take up the case directly with the world body in a dispute that has reopened old wounds dating to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The United States, which hosts the United Nations, said Iran's candidate Hamid Abutalebi was unacceptable given his role in a 444-day crisis in which radical Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage.
Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.
