US Cited Anonymous Statements as Official on Suleimani - Foreign Ministry

The US achieved a "breakthrough" in diplomatic practice by citing an anonymous source as an official Iranian statement in allegations of an Iranian visit, the Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti.

Calling it a "major breakthrough" in diplomatic practice, Russia's Foreign Ministry noted that the US passed off anonymous sources as official statements regarding a rumored visit to Moscow by Iranian General Qasem Soleimani's, who is subject to a US travel ban.

"American colleagues have revealed what they mean by 'statements by Iranian officials confirming Soleimani's visit to Russia.' It turned out that this is an article by a Western correspondent citing an Iranian source who preferred to remain anonymous," a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti.

Reuters earlier reported that an Iranian official speaking under condition of anonymity claimed that Soleimani visited Moscow. The US State Department then said that it raised the matter as a complaint to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Citing anonymous sources as official statements by a state is a major breakthrough in diplomatic practice. Now we will know," he added.

Prior to the Reuters report, Fox News reported that according to two unnamed Western intelligence sources, Soleimani allegedly visited Moscow on July 24. The White House later said that it cannot confirm the charges, although US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said that the US would "investigate" the rumored meeting.