US Allows Iranian Delegation to Attend UN General Assembly

The United States will allow an Iranian delegation to attend next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday, despite the ongoing war between Washington and Tehran.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed that the arrangement will include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“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 spokesperson said.

However, the official said the Iranian delegation would be smaller than last year’s group and would be subject to travel restrictions, as well as bans on purchasing luxury goods and certain other products.

The conflict began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, triggering a war that has since expanded across the Middle East.

Iran responded by imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy shipments, contributing to a sharp rise in international oil prices.

Fighting between the United States and Iran has intensified again in recent weeks, while commercial shipping continues to face restrictions in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, where Houthi forces maintain control.

The decision to permit the Iranian delegation comes as Washington has separately denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the UN General Assembly. A source confirmed the decision on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year that the United States has taken such action.

Last year, the Trump administration’s decision forced Abbas, a regular participant in the UN General Assembly, to address world leaders through a video message.

In a statement that did not directly name Abbas, the State Department said it would deny visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and officials from the Palestinian Authority.

The department attributed the decision to what it described as their “failure to reform” despite commitments to the United States, as well as activities it said were undermining prospects for peace.