Trump Administration Grants Visas for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abbas Araqchi to Attend UNGA in New York

The Trump administration will allow an Iranian delegation to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, even as Washington and Tehran remain at war and continue intermittent talks aimed at ending the conflict.

“The delegation will be under travel restrictions and will face prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods per our policy”

Reuters

A State Department spokesperson said a "core delegation from the Iranian regime" would be allowed to attend the meeting in line with the United States' obligations as the world body's host country, with visas granted to officials including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Al Jazeera

The State Department said the delegation will be under travel restrictions and will face prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods per policy, adding that "The delegation is smaller than last year".

Reuters reported that the delegation will be granted visas, while the U.S. has historically restricted the Iranian delegation’s travel and movements in New York, including limits tied to the United Nations headquarters and John F Kennedy Airport.R

The State Department framed the visa decision as consistent with host-country obligations, saying the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level Week while being subject to tighter travel curbs and luxury import prohibitions.

Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said on social media that "the regime's officials want to go on shopping sprees in New York. Not on our watch," and the U.S. would continue to prohibit Iranian UN Mission officials and visiting officials from buying wholesale club memberships or luxury goods.

Breakingthenews.net

NBC News reported that President Donald Trump told Axios, "I have a big decision coming up. NDo I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not?" as the UN General Assembly general debate was set to begin on Tuesday and Pezeshkian was scheduled to address the General Assembly on Wednesday.

The Times of India and Türkiye Today both described the delegation as smaller than last year and under restrictions, with Türkiye Today quoting a spokesperson saying the delegation will be "under travel restrictions and will face prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods per our policy".

While the U.S. allowed Iranian leaders to enter for the UNGA, it also announced it would deny entry to Palestinian officials, extending a ban in place since last year over actions the U.S. said were meant to "internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" through international tribunals.

“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was denied a visa as part of the US move”

Reuters

Reuters said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was denied a visa as part of the US move, and it described the U.S. position that it can deny visas for "security, terrorism and foreign policy" reasons under the 1947 U.N. headquarters agreement.R

WION reported that the Trump administration denied visas to Abbas and dozens of Palestinian Authority officials for the second consecutive year, and it said the Palestinians would still be represented by diplomats already accredited to the United Nations.

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates rejected the U.S. decision, saying "Punitive measures and restrictions imposed on Palestinian officials do not contribute to advancing peace or combating violence," while the U.S. said the visa ban was tied to "their failure to reform" and "ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace."