Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US declined his request for a visa so he could travel to New York and attend a United Nations Security Council meeting this week.

Zarif on Tuesday said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed the UN secretary-general that “they didn’t have time to review my request.”

A US official confirmed to the Associated Press that Zarif’s visa application couldn’t be processed in time.

Zarif said he wanted to speak at the Security Council meeting Thursday about the US’ killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani last week in a drone strike.

“This is because they fear someone will go there and tell the truth to the American people,” Zarif said. “But they are mistaken. The world is not limited to New York. You can speak with American people from Tehran too and we will do that.”

It’s not clear that Zarif’s request has been formally rejected, however, which would trigger legal technicalities that could affect future visa applications. The State Department cited visa confidentiality laws that bar the release of such information with certain limited exceptions.

Zarif tweeted his displeasure, saying the denial was a violation of the 1947 United Nations Headquarters agreement that requires the US to permit diplomats from other countries to conduct UN business.

Zarif had applied for the visa in order to speak to a UN Security Council session Thursday about the importance of upholding the UN charter.

“Whenever he comes to New York, he spreads propaganda,” national security adviser Robert O’Brien said. “I actually find it somewhat ironic that Mr. Zarif wants to take advantage of the diplomatic niceties of being able to come to New York and come to the UN when his revolution was born in the taking of 52 American diplomats hostage in Iran and holding them for 444 days. … He can certainly call in to the meeting or he can participate by video teleconference and his voice will be heard if he wants to be heard.”

Under its obligations as the host country of the UN headquarters, the US is required in most circumstances to issue visas to foreign officials for meetings at the world body. However, there are exceptions and the US has severely restricted the movements of Iranian diplomats in New York in the past. It has also moved to bar non-UN-related travel by other foreign officials, notably the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

With Associated Press