
After nearly a year of controversy with US�officials over its previous pick, Iran has appointed a new UN�envoy. Gholamali Khoshroo, a seasoned diplomat who works to promote former Iranian President�Mohammad Khatami�s �Dialogue of Civilizations,� has been�appointed as Iran�s permanent representative at the United Nations, said Iran�s Foreign Ministry in a statement.
The previous pick by by Iran,�Hamid Abutalebi, caused an uproar when the United States refused to�grant him a visa over Abutalebi�s�role in the�1979 hostage crisis�at the US Embassy in Tehran, where 52 Americans were held for 444 days. Abutalebi was instead appointed as President Hassan Rouhani�s political affairs adviser, and he�has since been active on Twitter promoting�engagement between Iran and the United States in Iraq.
In a statement, Iran�s Foreign Ministry said that its protest over Abutalebi�s case remains in place;�however, �The Islamic Republic believes that in order to secure its national interests and promote Iran�s place on the international scene, it must use the opportunity to secure Iran�s interests at a maximum level and it is necessary to have an active and effective presence at the United Nations, especially in consideration of the critical regional and international situation.�
Read more here
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.