Hamid Abutalebi named Iran's new UN envoy

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has appointed Hamid Abutalebi as the new representative of the Islamic Republic at the UN, replacing Mohammad Kazai, Iran.ru reports.The US State Department has not issued a visa for Mr. Abutalebi yet.Hamid Abutalebi started his diplomatic carrier in 1980. He has already been an ambassador to Italy, Belgium and Australia. According to CNN, he was a member of the Islamic revolutionary student organization that took hostages at the US embassy in Tehran in November 1979.The representative to the UN is the highest-ranking diplomatic post in the Islamic Republic, considering efforts of the country to lift sanctions. President Rouhani has already spoken at the UN General Assembly session and proposed the World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) project.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has appointed Hamid Abutalebi as the new representative of the Islamic Republic at the UN, replacing Mohammad Kazai, Iran.ru reports.

The US State Department has not issued a visa for Mr. Abutalebi yet.

Hamid Abutalebi started his diplomatic carrier in 1980. He has already been an ambassador to Italy, Belgium and Australia. According to CNN, he was a member of the Islamic revolutionary student organization that took hostages at the US embassy in Tehran in November 1979.

The representative to the UN is the highest-ranking diplomatic post in the Islamic Republic, considering efforts of the country to lift sanctions. President Rouhani has already spoken at the UN General Assembly session and proposed the World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) project.