Why Iran's hard-liners are ripping into Rouhani over NY visit
Despite the lack of buzz about potential meetings or phone calls with US officials, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has not been spared from domestic criticism following his latest trip to New York.
TEHRAN, Iran — President Hassan Rouhani’s trips to New York have always been followed by some controversy inside Iran. On his first trip, which took place in September 2013, he ended up having a phone conversation with the US president. On his third trip, in September 2015, his Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shook hands with President Barack Obama.
However, Rouhani’s latest trip to New York on Sept. 20-22, which was his last trip to New York during his first term as the president of Iran, was not controversial. Since Rouhani’s first term is coming to an end and the high-ranking officials of the state are warning that Iran should avoid establishing any form of relations with the United States, Rouhani’s delegation left Tehran without having any unexpected meetings in its agenda.
