Iran's FM says he was denied a visa to the US

Zarif says he was denied a visa to attend a UN Security Council meeting (AFP)

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said he was denied a visa to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting at its headquarters in New York.

Zarif said he had been informed of the visa rejection by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA.

"What we know is that the US secretary of state, in a call to the secretary-general of the United Nations, said: 'We did not have time to issue a visa for Mohammad Javad Zarif and we will not issue a visa'," Zarif said.

Under the 1947 UN's "headquarters agreement", the US is generally required to issue visas forforeign diplomats visiting the United Nations. But Washington says it can deny visas for "security, terrorism and foreign policy" reasons.

While the US has not officially confirmed the visa denial, a US official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters the US had denied Zarif's visa.