The United States will permit senior Iranian officials to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, a decision made despite ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran. This move is in line with the U.S.’s responsibilities as the host nation under the 1947 UN headquarters agreement.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are expected to receive visas to join the core Iranian delegation. However, these officials will still be subject to U.S. travel restrictions, which limit their movement to designated areas such as the UN headquarters, Iran’s UN mission, and its ambassador’s residence.
This decision comes amid sporadic diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran to resolve a conflict that began on February 28. The conflict escalated following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran against Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases.
While the United States generally allows foreign diplomats to access the United Nations, it retains the right to deny visas on grounds of security, terrorism, or foreign policy. In a separate decision, the U.S. has refused entry to Palestinian officials for the General Assembly, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.