Three American congressmen, all staunchly opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, have been denied their bid to visit Tehran to inspect the country’s nuclear sites, a job that is typically reserved for individuals with expertise in the area.

Republican Reps. Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey, Mike Pompeo of Kansas and Lee Zeldin of New York had requested the visas at Iran’s interest section of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington in February. The United States cut off diplomatic ties with Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution when Iranian students stormed the US Embassy and took more than 50 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded to the request June 7 with an open letter. The letter called the congressmen's request a “publicity stunt" and said, “Bearn [sic] in mind that as members of the US Congress you are not a global authority.”

Regarding the congressmen's request to visit the Parchin military site and the Fordow and Arak nuclear sites, the Foreign Ministry letter said the International Atomic Energy Organization is “the sole body competent for monitoring the implementation” of the nuclear deal.