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The United States has denied a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that would have allowed him to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday. The assertion, by a US official, speaking anonymously, comes as tensions escalate between the countries after the United States killed Iran's most prominent military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad on Friday. Under the 1947 UN "headquarters agreement", the United States is required to allow access to the UN for foreign diplomats but Washington says it can deny visas for "security, terrorism and foreign policy" reasons. The US State Department declined immediate comment on Monday. Iran's mission to the United Nations said: "We have seen the media reports but we have not received any official communication from either the US or the UN regarding Foreign Minister Zarif's visa." UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric declined to comment. Zarif wanted to attend a meeting of the Security Council on Thursday on the topic of upholding the UN Charter. Both it and his travel had been planned before the latest flare-up between Washington and Tehran. The forum would have given Zarif a global spotlight to criticise the United States for killing Soleimani. Iran's UN envoy, Majid Takht Ravanchi, has described the killing as "an obvious example of State terrorism and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including, in particular ... the Charter of the United Nations." Zarif traveled to New York in September for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations - after the US sanctioned him for implementing "the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader". The sanctions block property or interests Zarif has in the United States but he said he had none. Zarif also attended UN meetings in April and July. During the latter, Washington imposed tight travel restrictions on him and diplomats at Iran's mission to the United Nations, confining them to a small section of New York City. Australian Associated Press

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