US diplomats on Friday walked out of the ceremony to celebrate Tunisia’s new constitution after Iran’s representative made “false accusations” about Washington undermining the Arab Spring uprisings, the embassy said.
In his address to the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), Iran’s parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani accused arch foes the United States and Israel of seeking to thwart the pro-democracy uprisings that swept the region in 2011.
“The US representatives present at the NCA departed the ceremony due to the false accusations and inappropriate comments made by the Iranian representative present regarding the United States.”
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Maghreb Affairs and Egypt, William Roebuck, was Washington’s top representative at the ceremony, which was also attended by African and Arab leaders, as well as French President Francois Hollande.