To avoid a speech at the UN Security Council critical of President Trump’s decision to assassinate Iranian General Qassam Soleimani, the US has refused to allow Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to enter the country for the purpose of conducting UN business.
Zarif has been planning to visit the UN for weeks, and had requested the visa back in December. The 1947 UN Headquarters treaty obliges the US not to “impose any impediments to transit to or from the headquarters district” for officials invited to the UN on official business. This means the US is overtly violating this deal.
There is no legal basis for what the US is doing in this case. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was informed by the Trump Administration that they won’t allow Zarif into the country to attend his already scheduled UN speech.
This follows months of the US increasingly restricting the movements of Zarif and other Iranians involved in the UN delegation. Most of the restrictions were overtly intended to prevent Zarif from reaching TV studios within New York City.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had previously threatened to bar Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani from the UN General Assembly, arguing that they are “connected to a foreign terrorist organization.” UN officials have pointed out that the treaty does not allow Pompeo to make decisions to exclude officials from a UN member nation to address the UN Security Council.
This extra-legal move is not totally unprecedented. In 1988, the Reagan Administration blocked Yasser Arafat from addressing the UN General Assembly. The UN responded by moving the entire General Assembly to Geneva, Switzerland for the speech.
It would be difficult to try to relocate the UN Security Council over one speech by Zarif, but if the US makes a habit out of blocking its critics from the UN, in violation of the Headquarters treaty, the UN must inevitably consider relocating out of the US entirely for the sake of its operation.
It is time for the UN to decamp to maybe the Netherlands. What was he going to say that was so dangerous?
Well John, what the Iranian FM was going to say would be the truth – that DJT deliberately issued an order to assassinate Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi counterpart via drone strike on the convoy. All in all, 10 people were murdered in that strike.
The Iranian FM can simply tell the UNSC the truth about the assassinations electronically from Tehran since he’ll never get a visa to enter the US anyway.
If I was the FM, I wouldnt want to enter a country that has assassinated my govt official
US has been a criminal enterprise from Day One. The world needs to BDS the US.
So much for free speech and diplomatic immunity and all the other over-celebrated ideals that supposedly make America so special. The UN should never have been located in the US, it should permanently be moved to a far more truly neutral country like Switzerland. Then again, the UN has never made equality and fairness a priority.
Trump feels so insecure that letting our victims have an opportunity to speak is intolerable, because what Trump has done is indefensible.
You surely have a valid point here, and I fully agree. DJT certainly feels so insecure that letting our victims have an opportunity to speak is intolerable, because what DJT has done is indefensible,
The Iranian FM has every right to address the UN Security Council, and DJT has NO authority to prevent it, He can address the UNSC electronically since the US would deny him a visa to enter to address the UNSC in person.
No doubt Trump is as tricky as the best of them
Keep in mind that there is no Trump Tower for the Saudi delegation in Geneva.
“This extra-legal move is not totally unprecedented. In 1988, the Reagan Administration blocked Yasser Arafat from addressing the UN General Assembly. The UN responded by moving the entire General Assembly to Geneva, Switzerland for the speech.”
“It would be difficult to try to relocate the UN Security Council over one speech by Zarif”
If it was done in 1988 why can’t it be done today? Move it to Iran and invite Pompeo and Trump for a one way visit.
Gotta make sure Pence is there with them,…
Damn, I forgot. That is imperative.
Mitch n spanky too
Might need a few more transport planes. We can pick up some troops as we’re dropping the others off.
Can the Iranian minister simply broadcast his speech electronically? he would have a right to request that…
hat would save a lot of travel time and money Something our leaders do not wish toi do .
U.S. doesn’t want Iran to exploit this opportunity. That or perhaps not everyone was clued in the negotiations.
Eh, spanky jes treating him like he treats hotel contractors that want to get paid.
“In 1988, the Reagan Administration blocked Yasser Arafat from
addressing the UN General Assembly. The UN responded by moving the
entire General Assembly to Geneva, Switzerland for the speech..”
how times have changed! the UN has no balls now.
Either move to Geneva or shut down the organization (only kidding)