The Trump administration has approved visas for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to attend next week’s UN General Assembly high-level meeting in New York, despite the ongoing war between Washington and Tehran.
The State Department said Thursday it had approved visas for Iran’s “core delegation” and essential staff. US officials confirmed to The Associated Press that Pezeshkian and Araghchi are among those authorised to attend.
“Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level week,” the State Department said. The delegation will face travel restrictions and a ban on purchasing luxury and other goods, it added.
The decision comes more than six months into the US-Iran conflict, with no clear agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or resume nuclear negotiations. Reuters reported that Washington’s decision reflects its obligations under the 1947 UN headquarters agreement.
The US decision came a day after Washington denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation for the same UN gathering.
