WASHINGTON, June 24 (UPI) -- Iranian diplomats will not be welcome at Independence Day celebrations at U.S. diplomatic missions around the world, the Obama administration said Wednesday.
The U.S. State Department said the Iranians were uninvited because their presence at July Fourth festivities in the wake of the Iranian government's crackdown on protesters in their country wouldn't mesh with American values, Voice of America reported.
"Given everything that's going on, given the kind of response that the Iranian government has had to the desires of the Iranian people to have their voices be heard, to have their basic freedoms be respected -- these are the most fundamental American political values that we have," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said. "I think it would be incongruous for Iranians to want to go to a celebration like that."
Still, the Obama administration said, pulling the invites doesn't mean the United States is slamming the door on future talks with Iran on terrorism and nuclear weaponry issues, VOA reported.
It wasn't like there had been a rush by Iranian diplomats to confirm they planned to attend any of the celebratory activities. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said none had responded to the invitations, which are no longer valid.
