'What Are They Really Afraid Of?' Iranian FM Zarif on His US Visa Denial

Mr Zarif planned to visit New York on 9 January to address the Security Council on the killing of his country's top military commander Qasem Soleimani.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter to share his thoughts about the fact that the United States has denied him the visa he needs to take part in the UN Security Council meeting in New York on 9 January.

Denying me a visa in violation of 1947 UNHQ Agreement pales in comparison to:

-Pompeo's threat to starve Iranians (crime against humanity)
-Trump's bluster about cultural heritage (war crime)
-#EconomicTerrorism
-Cowardly assassination

But what are they really afraid of? Truth?

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 7, 2020

​Foreign Policy reported on Monday, citing a Washington-based diplomatic source, that a Trump administration official had phoned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to say that the US would not allow Zarif into the country.

Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated following the killing of Iran's Major General Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad on 3 January. Tehran described the killing as an "act of state terrorism" and said that Soleimani's death would be avenged. Apart from this, Iran announced on Sunday that it would no longer abide by the nuclear deal commitments and would enrich uranium based on its technical needs.