- published: 12 Apr 2014
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The United States denied a visa to Iran's proposed UN ambassador on Friday, citing the envoy's links to the 1979-1981 Iranian hostage crisis, in a rare step that raises questions over how much influence the White House can wield over the world body. President Barack Obama had come under strong pressure not to allow Hamid Abutalebi into the country to take up his position in New York. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the United Nations and Iran had been told "that we will not issue a visa to Mr Abutalebi." He gave no further explanation. US law allows the government to bar UN diplomats who are considered national security threats, but Obama's potentially precedent-setting step could open the United States to criticism that it is using its position as host nation improperly. The US government objects to Abutalebi because of his suspected participation in a Muslim student group that seized the embassy in November 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The veteran diplomat has acknowledged that he acted as an interpreter for the militants who held the hostages. Obama's decision came days after negotiators from Iran, the United States and five other world powers met in Vienna for delicate negotiations seeking to curb Iran's nuclear program. A spokesman for Iran's mission to the United Nations said the White House decision was unfortunate and may violate international law. "It is a regrettable decision by the US Administration which is in contravention of international law, the obligation of the host country and the inherent right of sovereign member states to designate their representatives to the United Nations," spokesman Hamid Babaei said in a statement. But an Iranian official said he did not expect the dispute to affect the nuclear negotiations. Any official response would be up to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, but the US decision "will have no impact on our talks with the P5+1," the official told Reuters. DIVIDED CONGRESS UNITED ON IRAN The United Nations said it had no comment at this time on the US decision. After hearing about anger from the former hostages' over Abutalebi, members of Congress jumped to pass legislation banning him, seeing the issue as a chance to look tough on Iran weeks after a new sanctions bill stalled in the Senate. Unusually, the legislation passed unanimously in both chambers of the normally divided Congress this week. Many members of Congress, even Obama's fellow Democrats, are deeply skeptical about Iran, despite the administration's efforts to ease tensions with the long-time US adversary. They had made clear they considered Iran's selection of Abutalebi as a rebuke of the United States. "I appreciate the president doing the right thing and barring this acknowledged terrorist from coming into the country," Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said on Fox News. US Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a statement: "Hamid Abutalebi's nomination would have been a slap at all American victims of terrorism, not just those taken hostage in 1979. We're glad the Obama Administration made this choice, and Iran should stop playing these games." Tags: abc breaking news, bbc, bbc football, bbc iplayer, bbc news, bbc news america, bbc persian, bbc sport, bbc weather, bbc world news, breaking celebrity news, breaking election news, breaking late news, breaking local news, breaking music news, breaking news, breaking news alerts, breaking news canada, breaking news headlines, breaking news in atlanta, breaking news in nigeria, breaking news india, breaking news pensacola florida, breaking news plane crash, breaking news story, breaking sports news, business expensive news home media world, christian world news, cnn, cnn breaking news, cnn money, cnn news, cnn news breaking news, cnn news world, detroit breaking news, global news, headline, headline news, health care technology news, hot latest global news, internet technology news, las vegas breaking news, latest breaking news, latest celebrity news, latest information technology news, latest music news, latest news, latest news headlines, latest news update, latest sports news, live breaking news, local breaking news, local news today, msn breaking news, nbc breaking news, nbc world news, news of the world, news report us world, news today news, news updated daily, solar technology news, sports news today, technology news, the latest news, today news, us news and world, us news and world report, us news and world report magazine, us news and world report web site, us news world report, world news, world news daily, world news headlines,Ukrainian,Ukraine Protest,Ukraine Crisis,Ukraine Ex-Leader,Top World News,Today World News,World News Today,Latest Today World News.