WASHINGTON: Applications from 15 Iranian journalists for visas to attend U.N. sessions were withdrawn by the Iranian government and not turned down by the United States as alleged in Tehran, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday.
The applications were received Friday and would have been difficult to process in time for the opening Monday of the special session of the U.N. General Assembly, spokesman Tom Casey said.
In any event, he said, Iran withdrew the applications along with several requested for other Iranian officials to accompany President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to New York. Apart from the journalists, a total of 150 visa applications were filed, he said.
In Tehran, Iran's culture minister said Iran was increasing restrictions on American media for what he said was a U.S. decision to deny visas to Iranian journalists.
