'Telegraph' reports that Iran cancels conference in latest move to demonstrate new diplomatic direction under Rouhani.
By JPOST.COM STAFFIran's new president Hassan Rouhani 370(photo credit: Reuters)
Iranian officials have reportedly ordered the cancellation of an annual anti-Israel and anti-Zionism conference set to take place in November, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.According to the report, Iran's foreign ministry cancelled the New Horizon Conference, in the latest move to demonstrate that the country is veering toward a new diplomatic direction under the leadership of new President Hassan Rouhani.The event was slated to feature 63 international contributors, including a US senator.Hardliners associated with the forum slammed the decision, according to the Telegraph.The Telegraph quoted the head organizer of the conference, Nader Talebzadeh, as saying the decision to cancel the event was "a major mistake on the part of our government".Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a previous conference called for Israel to be "wiped off the map".Since his election in June, Rouhani has made efforts to shift Tehran's diplomatic tone from that elicited by his predecessor.Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has expressed his distrust of Rouhani, rejecting his so-called “smile and conquer diplomacy" while warning the international community that the Iranian regime has nonetheless maintained its goal to produce nuclear weapons.
