Iran Not Considering Alternative Pick for UN Ambassador

Iran said on Saturday it will not choose another envoy for the UN post after the U.S. announced it will not issue a visa to Iranian diplomat Hamid Aboutalebi for his involvement in the 1979 U.S. embassy takeover in Tehran.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Mehr News Agency last night that, “We are not considering an alternative pick.” Tehran also said it was considering legal options over the dispute with the U.S.

Aboutalebi has acknowledged that he served a limited role as a translator for the students who took the Americans hostage, but was not involved in the embassy takeover.

File photo: Iranian diplomat Hamid Aboutalebi (Getty Images/IRNA)

U.S. Will Not Issue Visa to Iran’s New UN Envoy – White House

The Obama administration will not issue a diplomatic visa to Iran’s new ambassador to the United Nations, the White House press secretary Jay Carney said today. (AP, 11 April)

The administration opposes the selection of diplomat Hamid Aboutalebi because of his ties to the student group that took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 American hostages in 1979. The State Department has informed Iranian officials and the U.N. that the U.S. will not issue visa to allow Aboutalebi to take his post in New York.

Photo credit: White House press secretary Jay Carney speaking to reporters, 11 April 2014. (Charles Dharapak/AP) 

White House To Iran: U.N. Ambassador Choice 'Not Viable'

The White House said today that it did not welcome Iran's choice of Hamid Aboutalebi as its new UN ambassador, saying U.S. officials had told Tehran that the selection was “not viable.” (Reuters, 8 April)

Aboutalebi is alleged to have been a member of the Muslim Student Followers of Imam’s Line, the radical student organization that seized the U.S. Embassy in 1979 and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Taskhir, a website published in Tehran claiming to be the official site of the Muslim Student Followers of Imam’s Line, has identified Aboutalebi as one of the organization’s members. Takhsir’s editor is Hashem Pour Yazdan-Parast, one of the leaders of the group during the embassy takeover.

In a post, dated 8 October 2010, the site published the photos of some of the more prominent participants in the embassy takeover. If you click on a photo purportedly of the young Aboutalebi, the caption in Farsi reads: “Hamid Aboutalebi.”

To see the post in Taskhir (Farsi text), please click here.

With the White House now officially saying that Aboutalebi’s nomination is not viable, it is expected that the Rouhani administration would put in a new name for the country’s UN ambassador.

Photo credit: Taskhir’s photo of a young Hamid Aboutalebi.

U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Deny Entry to Iran Nominee

The U.S. Senate today passed a bill to deny entry into the United States to Hamid Aboutalebi, the Iranian diplomat nominated to become Iran’s ambassador to the UN. The bill passed in a voice vote. (Reuters/rferl, 7 April)

Aboutalebi is accused of taking part in the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran and hostage-taking of 52 Americans for 444 days.

Aboutalebi, a veteran diplomat, denies playing any role in the embassy takeover, saying he only served as a translator there.

File photo: Hamid Abutalebi (Getty Images)

U.S. Calls Iran’s Choice for UN Ambassador ‘Troubling’

Allegedly Among Hostage Takers at U.S. Embassy

United States today expressed outrage over Iran’s choice of an allegedly former hostage taker to become its new ambassador at the UN, with the State Department spokeswoman calling the nomination “troubling.”

Iran has nominated Hamid Aboutalebi to replace the current ambassador Mohammad Khazaee at the UN, who has already left for Tehran. U.S. State Department has so far not issued an entry visa for Aboutalebi, pending further investigation of his alleged role as a member of the militant group Muslim Students Following Imam’s Line, which held 52 Americans, including senior diplomats, hostage in Tehran for 444 days after seizing the U.S. embassy on 4 November 1979.

“We're taking a close look at the case now, and we've raised our serious concerns about this possible nomination with the government of Iran,” said Marie Harf, the State Department spokeswoman. “I will say that we think this nomination would be extremely troubling.” (AP, 2 April)

Aboutalebi has said his involvement with the student group, which took the Americans hostage, was minimal, adding that he only acted as a translator. However, his photograph is displayed on Taskhir (“Capture”), the website of the Muslim Students Following Imam’s Line, Bloomberg reported. (Bloomberg, 30 March)

Aboutalebi has served as Iran’s ambassador to Italy, Belgium, Australia and the EU. 

Photo credit: Hamid Aboutalebi, now and then. (iranhumanrights.org)