TEHRAN, Iran — The recent abrupt cancellation of a planned visit by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani to Austria is raising a great deal of speculation. The two-day trip, which was scheduled to take place on March 30-31, was called off the last minute by the Iranian side. It was to follow a visit by Rouhani and his delegation to Belgium, which had already been cancelled due to the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels. But why was the visit to Vienna called off?
Rouhani’s decision to cancel the trip was announced on the evening of March 29, just hours before the president’s planned departure. The Iranian government announced that “the visit by Iran’s president to Austria will take place at a more appropriate time. This decision has been reached mutually to allow for better preparation.”