Why no Obama Rouhani meeting: White House offered, Iran declined
A meeting between US President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is "too complicated for the Iranians to do at this point" according to senior administration officials.
New York __ There will be no meeting between President Obama and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani this week, the White House said Tuesday, saying the Iranians had declined.
The White House offered to have "an encounter" between Obama and Rouhani at the United Nations, but the Iranians informed the US Tuesday "it is too complicated for the Iranians to do at this point," senior US administration officials informed the White House pool reporter Tuesday afternoon.
"It was clear that it was too complicated for them," a senior US official told the pool reporter.
Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday as part of a P5+1 foreign ministers meeting.
