CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour said on Thursday that she turned down an interview with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi for the first time on American soil because he demanded to wear a headscarf during filming.
The clash took place when Raisi made Amanpur face-to-face wait for more than 40 minutes, which had been scheduled weeks earlier.
The request for the anchor to wear a headscarf came after her crew spent eight hours setting up translation equipment, lights and cameras for the interview, Amanpur. said in a Twitter threadWhen an aide of President Raisi approached him.
“President suggested me to wear a head scarf, as it is the holy month of Muharram and Safar,” he tweeted. “I politely declined. We’re in New York, where there is no law or tradition regarding scarves. I pointed out that no former Iranian president outside of Iran needed it when I interviewed him.
The aide said the interview would not take place if the veteran news woman did not wear a headscarf as an “out of honor,” she said. He referred to the “situation of Iran”, which meant widespread protests in the country.
At least nine women have died in protests since the custodial death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the “ethics police”. Associated Press reportedThe unrest is the worst the country has seen in years.
“Again, I said that I cannot agree with this unprecedented and unexpected situation,” Amanpour said. “And so we left. The interview didn’t happen. As protests continue in Iran and people are being killed, it would have been an important moment to talk with President Raisi.”
Read Amanpour’s Twitter thread in full below.
