US grants visa to Iran’s Zarif for UN meeting this week: sources 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy ReutersWASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has granted a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to attend a U.N. meeting in New York this week, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday, saying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had approved the decision. Had Pompeo not approved giving a visa to Zarif, Iran’s top diplomat and nuclear negotiator, it could have been a signal that the United States was trying to further isolate the Islamic Republic and perhaps closing the door to diplomacy. Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Washington had decided to hold off on blacklisting him for now. ADVERTISEMENTImposing sanctions on Iran’s chief negotiator would have been unusual because it could impede any U.S. effort to use diplomacy to resolve its disagreements with Tehran.

Source: Manila Bulletin July 14, 2019 17:48 UTC