Iran’s president cancels interview with Christiane Amanpour in New York after she refuses to wear a headscarf

This was going to be Ebrahim Raisi’s first ever interview on US soil

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi canceled his interview with American TV star Christiane Amanpour while attending the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday due to her refusal to wear a headscarf.

The CNN anchor shared the news on Twitter saying that she planned to ask Raisi about the ongoing protests across Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini who passed away after being arrested by the morality police that oversees women wearing headscarves. 

“This was going to be President Raisi’s first ever interview on US soil, during his visit to NY for UNGA. After weeks of planning and eight hours of setting up translation equipment, lights and cameras, we were ready,” Amanpour tweeted. 

After a 40-minute wait Raisi’s aide arrived and told the journalist the president wants her to wear a headscarf due to it being the holy months of Muharram and Safar.

“I politely declined. We are in New York, where there is no law or tradition regarding headscarves. I pointed out that no previous Iranian president has required this when I have interviewed them outside Iran,” she explained. 

“The aide made it clear that the interview would not happen if I did not wear a headscarf. He said it was “a matter of respect,” and referred to “the situation in Iran” - alluding to the protests sweeping the country,” Amanpour wrote.