United Nations- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has canceled a trip to Iran.

Annan decided it is &#34not an appropriate time&#34 for him to visit Iran, citing the &#34ongoing controversy&#34 over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad”s remarks (about Israel) last week, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday.

&#34In light of the ongoing controversy, it would have been difficult to advance the agenda that [Annan] had wanted to discuss with the Iranian leadership,&#34 Dujarric said in a statement.

Annan”s revised travel schedule includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Pakistan, with a brief stop in Paris to meet with French President Jacques Chirac on Monday.