US Allows Iranian Delegation To Attend UN General Assembly: Official

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 Thursday, despite the war between Washington and Tehran entering its seventh month.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed that the decision will cover 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.

The official said, however, that the Iranian delegation would be smaller than last year. Members will also face travel restrictions and bans on purchasing luxury goods and certain other products.

US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February triggered a wider conflict across the Middle East. Tehran retaliated by imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy shipments, contributing to a sharp rise in oil prices.

Fighting between the United States and Iran has intensified again in recent weeks, while shipping remains restricted through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, where Houthi rebels have seized control.

The decision to allow the Iranian delegation into the United States comes as Washington faces criticism over its refusal to grant Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend the UN General Assembly. A source confirmed the visa denial on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year the United States has taken the step.

The Trump administration’s decision last year forced Abbas, a regular speaker at the UN General Assembly, to address world leaders by video.

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

The department cited “their failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace” as the reason for the decision.