Iran lawmaker questions US visa denial

A senior Iranian lawmaker has denounced as illegal Washington’s refusal to issue visas for some members of an Iranian delegation to the UN General Assembly session.

“It is correct that the United Nations is located in New York but the US government has no jurisdiction to refrain from issuing visas for members of a delegation and object to their presence,” Head of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi told Fars News Agency on Saturday.

“The United Nations is the home of all nations and all countries,” he added.

He said such measures would bring under question the legitimacy of the US to host the UN.

Boroujerdi’s remarks came after the US government refused to issue visas for 40 members of the Iranian delegation mostly reporters and lawmakers seeking to attend the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Tehran for New York to attend the UN General Assembly session on Saturday.

Ahmadinejad told reporters before his departure that while in the United States, he would also take part in the Millennium Development Goals summit which will be attended by 140 heads of states.

He will also hold talks with officials from various countries.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, senior presidential advisor Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi and head of the presidential office, Esfandiyar Rahim-Mashaei, are among the team accompanying the president in his tour.