US Republican senator urges administration to revoke visa of Iranian foreign minister

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Republican US Sen. James Lankford urged the US State Department to revoke the visa of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossien Amir Abdollahian on Tuesday ahead of his visit to New York to attend a UN Security Council meeting.

The senator from the state of Oklahoma said the US should prevent Iran from using American soil as a “platform to amplify its anti-Israel and anti-American rhetoric” after Iran's direct attack on the US ally.

“I strongly believe that denying Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian’s entry to the United States is necessary and consistent with the precedent set by President Obama and President Trump,” he wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“Not only does Amir-Abdollahian have irrefutable ties to Hamas terrorists who are currently holding 133 hostages, including five Americans, but Iran’s irresponsible strikes and continued threats have jeopardized Israel’s security. I urge the administration to take swift action and deny Amir-Abdollahian’s entry to the United States,” he added.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked last week whether the US granted a visa to Amir-Abdollahian to attend the Security Council.

“We never speak to visa records. They’re confidential by law, and so I can’t speak to visa records from here. But as has long been the case, we take our obligations as the host of the United Nations very seriously,” he said.

Asked if the foreign minister has a visa, Miller said: “You can’t travel here without one ... but I would note that Iranian foreign ministers have traveled to New York under administrations of both parties, including the last one.”