Iran Defends U.N. Envoy Pick in Face of U.S. Concerns

Iran on Tuesday defended its appointment of Hamid Aboutalebi as its U.N. ambassador, brushing aside U.S. concerns over his alleged links to the 1979 U.S. hostage crisis.

"Iran has selected a veteran diplomat with a clear and successful (diplomatic) record as its ambassador to the United Nations," foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told AFP.

"Iran considers him to be suitable for this job."

Seen as close to the reformists and an ally of President Hassan Rouhani, Aboutalebi is currently the director general of the presidency's political affairs bureau.

He has previously served as Iran's ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, Italy and Australia.

"Mr. Aboutalebi's positive record during his diplomatic career and his professional capabilities as a career diplomat speak for itself," Afkham said.

The U.S. State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said last week Aboutalebi's nomination would be "extremely troubling".

Aboutalebi has insisted he was not part of the hostage-taking in November 1979, when students who had overthrown the pro-Western shah seized the U.S. embassy, but that he later joined the student group.

He has said that he worked as a translator when the students, soon after the hostage taking, released 13 women and African Americans to highlight what they said was Islamic respect for women and poor U.S. treatment of minorities.

The remaining 52 diplomats spent a total of 444 days in captivity, enraging the United States.

As the host government, the United States generally is obliged to issue visas to diplomats who serve at the United Nations, although Harf said there were "certain circumstances" for exceptions.

The U.S. Senate on Monday meanwhile unanimously passed a resolution that would deny Aboutalebi an entry visa. The House is also expected to adopt the bill, according to U.S. media.

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas and vociferous critic of Iran, introduced the bill backed by fellow lawmakers that blocks U.S. visas for "known terrorists" to represent their countries at the United Nations.

The U.S. and Iran still do not have diplomatic relations, but Rouhani and U.S. President Barack Obama have taken steps to ease tensions through a tentative agreement to freeze parts of Iran's nuclear program.