Iran minister cancels IMF, WBG meetings after U.S. denial of visas

Iran's economy minister recently cancelled his trip to Washington to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG), official IRNA news agency reported Thursday.

The decision by Iranian Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand came as a response to the U.S. denial of visas to his accompanying delegation, IRNA said.

Dejpasand sent a letter to WBG's President David Malpass to express Iran's protest against the United States "placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of the Iranian delegation's trip."

The United States has imposed "illegal, unprecedented and hostile restrictions on the Islamic republic," the letter read.

Washington has "violated international organizations' policies" by denying access to the Iranian delegation to the IMF and the WBG meetings, it noted.

The annual meetings of the IMF and the WBG were held on Oct. 14-20 in the U.S. capital Washington D.C.