Iran Dismisses President Rouhani's "Secret" Dinner with US Democrats

Rasa - Iranian Vice-President for Communications and Information Parviz Esmayeeli rejected a Wall Street Journal report claiming that President Hassan Rouhani secretly hosted three democrat members of the US Congress in a private dinner in 2013.

News ID: 436325

Date: 10 February 2018 - 19:02

RNA - "The allegations about a secret meeting or secret dinner of the mentioned figures (the US democrat congressmen) with President Rouhani is a sheer lie," Esmayeeli said on Saturday.

He added that during his stay in New York to participate in the annual UN General Assembly meeting, the Iranian president only attends an intimate meeting and dinner with Iranian expatriates residing in the US.

Meantime, Esmayeeli said that the Iranian president holds meetings with different groups every year on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting to explain Iran's foreign policy.

"President Rouhani had a meeting in 2013 with the Islamic Ulema (clerics) and leaders of the US Muslims society whose full reports and images were released at the time and they are available now at these addresses: President.ir/fa/71698, President.ir/fa/72693, President.ir/fa/72016," he added.

His remarks came after the Wall Street Journal claimed on Friday that the US congressmen, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Andre Carson of Indiana and Gregory Meeks of New York, attended a private dinner with the Iranian president in New York in 2013, along with Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the black group Nation of Islam.

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