Iran’s foreign minister to have movements restricted during NYC trip days after Israel attack: report
Iran’s foreign minister will have his movements restricted by the United States during a visit to the United Nations in New York City this week, it was reported Tuesday — as the US Treasury said it is weighing sanctions over Iran for its weekend attack on Israel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian won’t be allowed to move outside the seven blocks north and south of the UN building in Midtown East in Manhattan or go further than one block west of the building, sources familiar with the situation told CNN.
The diplomat and his entourage will be allowed to access the Iranian mission near the UN building, the home of Iran’s resident representative in the UN, and JFK Airport in Queens along a pre-determined route.
Amir-Abdollahian is due to arrive in New York City to join a Thursday UN Security Council meeting, according to Amwaj Media.
Amir-Abdollahian has made comments about Israel facing repercussions for making “provocative acts” in response to Iran’s Saturday missile attack, fanning tensions in the Middle East.
The State Department did not respond to requests for comment on Amir-Abdollahian’s reported trip, but the UN Security Council has a meeting scheduled Thursday to discuss “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”
As the foreign minister reportedly plans his trip, the US warned it is ready to roll out severe sanctions against Iran in response to its attack on Israel.
“I fully expect that we will take additional sanctions action against Iran in the coming days,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a press conference Tuesday.
“We don’t preview our sanctions tools. But in discussions I’ve had, all options to disrupt terrorist financing of Iran continue to be on the table,” she added, calling Iran’s actions in the Middle East “malign and destabilizing activity.”
More than 500 people and groups connected to Iranian financing of terror groups have already been sanctioned since Biden took office in 2021, Yellen said.
Iran is known to fund extremist groups throughout the region — including Hamas in Gaza — with the aim of driving Western influence from the region.
“From this weekend’s attack to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Iran’s actions threaten the region’s stability and could cause economic spillovers,” Yellen said.
Iran launched a barrage of more than 300 rockets at Israel over the weekend that the Islamic Republic claimed was in response to an Israel strike in Syria that killed Iranian Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, one of the architects of Hamas Oct. 7 attack.
Most of the rockets were shot down by a coalition of Israeli allies led by the US Air Force.
Iran has vowed to hit back with weapons “not used before” if Israel responds to their attack with force.
With Post wires
