Iranian director to send prominent proxies to Oscars

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi poses for his film "the Salesman" during the premier in Paris, Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Michel Euler/AP)

TEHRAN, Iran -- An Oscar-nominated Iranian director has announced two prominent Iranian Americans will be representing him and his film "The Salesman" at the upcoming Oscars ceremony, because of a currently-suspended travel ban issued by President Donald Trump.

The semi-official ISNA news agency reported that Anousheh Ansari, famed for being the first female space tourist, and Dr. Firouz Naderi, director of Solar Systems Exploration at NASA, will be Asghar Farhadi's representatives at this year's Academy Awards.

Farhadi, an acclaimed director whose film, "The Salesman," was nominated for best foreign language film announced January when President Trump's travel ban was initially issued that he would not be attending the ceremony in protest, even if exceptions were made for him.

Farhadi became the first Iranian to win an Oscar, for his 2011 film, "A Separation."