Instant Alert: Iran's president says he turned down a meeting with Trump at the UN

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Iran's president says he turned down a meeting with Trump at the UN by on Oct 30, 2017, 11:44 AM Advertisement Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he decided not to meet with President Donald Trump during the UN General Assembly in New York two months ago.  The two countries haven't been in formal communication since President Barack Obama spoke with Rouhani over the phone in 2013.  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's foreign ministry says that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani turned down a meeting with President Donald Trump during his visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September. The Sunday report by the semi-official ILNA news agency quotes ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying "an intention was expressed by the American side that was not approved by President Rouhani," in reference to the alleged meeting request. In 2013, then U.S. President Barack Obama and Rouhani spoke by telephone, the highest-level contact between the two countries in decades, prompting an outcry from Iranian hardliners. Since then there has been no such communication between Tehran and Washington, which officially severed diplomatic ties in 1979. SEE ALSO: Why Iran hawks — and Trump — hate the Iran nuclear deal DON'T MISS: Iran: 'There will be no renegotiation' of the Iran deal   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011