The Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United States[1] is a part of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C., and is the de facto consular representation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United States.
Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran during the 1979 Iranian Revolution, leading to the breaking of diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States. As part of the Algiers Accords of 1981, the two countries agreed to establish "interests sections" to look after their interests in the other country. Each country picked a third country, which had friendly relations with both sides, to be its protecting power in the other capital.
The Iranian embassy was seized by the U.S. State Department in retaliation for Iran's seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. As a result, the Iranian Interests Section operated out of a small office on Wisconsin Avenue associated with the Pakistani Embassy between 1981 and 2015.[2][3] It has since relocated to a larger office space on 23rd Street NW, near D.C.'s Washington Circle.[4]
Algeria originally served as Iran's protecting power in the U.S. However, when Iranian leaders expressed support for the Islamic Salvation Front in January 1992, Algeria refused to continue serving as Iran's protecting power. In March 1992, Pakistan agreed to undertake a mandate as Iran's protecting power in the U.S.[5]
The Interests Section provides all essential consular services to Iranian citizens and issued visas to foreigners. Since the severing of diplomatic ties by Canada in 2012, the Section also handles the consular affairs of Iranian citizens residing in Canada.[1]
Directors of the Interests Section, stationed in Washington
editThis is an incomplete list. As agreed in the Algiers Accords of 1981, the Director is the sole Iranian diplomat at the Section. The rest of the employees are the clerical staff.
- Mr. Faramarz Fathnezhad (1996)
- Mr. Fariborz Jahansoozan (2000)
- Mr. Ali Jazini Dorcheh (2005)
- Mr. Mostafa Rahmani (2010)
- Mr. Mehdi Atefat (2015)
Controversies
editThreats against the Iranian diaspora and anti-regime critics
editDuring the local protests by the local Iranian diaspora against a memorial to Raisi and to the Iranian Foreign Minister, a man who turned out to be an employee of the Iranian Special Interests Section of the Embassy of Pakistan made death threat gestures towards the demonstrators. The staffer, Ramezan Soltan-Mohammadi, has received a temporary restraining order from the Maryland court system that prevents him from coming close to at least one protest leader's home and workplace. A group composed of members of the diaspora has taken him to court, and the case is ongoing. [6] [7] [8]
The incident occurred just days before the incident in London where protesters against a similar memorial event there came under attack by attendees of the ceremony, allegedly by IRGC agents loyal to the regime. [9]
Interests Section of the U.S. in Iran
editThe U.S. Interests Section in Tehran has been operating under the Swiss Embassy since 1980. Services for American citizens are limited. The section is not authorized to perform any U.S. visa/green card/immigration-related services. Contrary to usual practice, the old U.S. embassy complex was not handed over to the Swiss. Instead, part of the embassy has been turned into an anti-American museum, while the rest has become student organizations' offices.[10]
As of 2024, U.S. visa/green card services and interviews for Iranian citizens are conducted at U.S. Embassies and Consulates in other locations, namely Ankara, Turkey, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Armenia, Albania, which accordingly are staffed with Persian-speaking consular officers. [11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Washington". Archived from the original on 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2006-02-20.
- ^ Luxner, Larry (November 2001). "Despite Lack of Diplomatic Ties, Door to Iran is Slowly Opening". The Washington Diplomat. Archived from the original on 2011-09-09. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
The only difference is that the Cubans have their own office, which used to be the Cuban Embassy before their revolution. We don't have our own office, because the State Department has kept our embassy, and likewise, the Iranian government has the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
- ^ "Congressmen Pay A Visit to the Iranian Interest Section". The Weekly Standard. 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016.
Unlike the grand embassies of Washington, Pakistan's embassy is a nondescript brick building downtown that looks like it could house any number of commercial enterprises. Inside, the Iranian Interest Section has a cramped lobby underneath a staircase that keeps the rest of the Interest Section out of sight.
- ^ "Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran". Archived from the original on 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2006-02-20.
- ^ "Pakistan to Handle Iranian Affairs in U.S." The New York Times. 17 March 1992. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ^ "Employee of Tehran's Interests Section in US Threatens Iranian-American". Iran International. May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Why does Iran still have operatives in Washington?". The Hill. June 1, 2024. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "US Court Extends Order Against Iranian Official for Threatening Protester". Iran International. June 18, 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-06-19. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ "'The IRGC are on British soil,' says woman beaten during London protest". The Telegraph. May 25, 2024. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ Pleitgen, Fred (July 1, 2015). "Inside the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran". CNN. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ NONIMMIGRANT VISAS Archived 2024-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Virtual Embassy, Tehran.