Iran said it had lodged an official protest with the World Bank after the United States refused to issue a visa to Iran’s economy minister and a delegation that was planning to attend the annual World Bank meeting.
Iran’s Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand has canceled a visit to the United States after his visa application was rejected for the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.
According to IRNA, Dejpasand sent a letter to President of the World Bank Group David R. to express Tehran’s protest against Washington for “placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of the Iranian delegation’s trip and for imposing illegal, unprecedented and hostile restrictions on the Islamic Republic.”
In a statement, Iran’s Economy Ministry said the World Bank’s statute “underlines the necessity of not adopting a political approach towards economic delegations from the member countries of the bank,” and emphasized “the immunity of the members of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.”
US President Donald Trump signed a decree last month restricting officials and their families from obtaining a visa to enter or reside in the United States.
The US decision was part of a policy of maximum pressure exerted by Washington on Tehran to force it to a comprehensive agreement that includes the nuclear deal and regional issues.
The United States imposed restrictions on the activities of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during the UN General Assembly after sanctions were imposed on Zarif in early August.
