The United States has barred Iran's pick for its new U.N. ambassador. The move comes one day after U.S. lawmakers voted against letting the diplomat enter the country.
"The U.S. government has informed the government of Iran that this potential selection is not viable," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in Washington.
The U.S. Senate unanimously voted Monday to ban Hamid Aboutalebi from setting foot in the U.S. because he is a former hostage taker.
Aboutalebi was involved in the 1979 hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. He reportedly insists his role was only that of a translator and negotiator.
But to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the bill's sponsor, the nomination is "a deliberate and unambiguous insult to the United States."
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