New York City officials cancel planned meeting with Iranian UN representative

A planned meeting between a New York City international affairs official and Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations was canceled after the State Department contacted city officials. The meeting had been scheduled to discuss potential cooperation between the city and Iranian authorities. It was not cleared with the State Department in advance.

Background on the canceled meeting A city spokesperson stated that the meeting did not and will not take place. The Iranian mission did not respond to requests for comment. The State Department met with the city administration to clarify acceptable conduct for such contacts, according to a department official.

A source familiar with the office said the city official was directed to cancel the meeting.

Earlier staff guidance City Journal reported that an April 16 message within the mayor's international affairs office directed staff to prioritize diplomatic contacts partly based on whether foreign officials share political alignment with the mayor.

The same report noted that the office had focused on relations with foreign leaders who share the mayor's worldview. The office was originally created to handle liaison work with foreign diplomats in New York and to support international trade outreach.