LONDON (Web Desk) - The United States has granted visas to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to attend next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to the BBC, as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high.
BBC said that Pezeshkian and Araghchi are among the core members of Iran’s delegation permitted to travel to the US for the UN General Assembly’s high-level week.
A US State Department spokesman confirmed the visa decision on Thursday, telling the BBC that the Iranian delegation would be allowed to attend in line with Washington’s obligations as host country.
“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 spokesman said.
The delegation will, however, face restrictions while in the United States, including limits on movement and prohibitions on purchasing certain luxury and other goods. The State Department also said Iran’s delegation would be smaller than last year’s.
Pezeshkian and Araghchi are expected to travel to New York as the UN General Assembly convenes amid the continuing US-Iran conflict. The war, which began on 28 February after joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran, has significantly increased regional tensions and contributed to disruption in global energy markets.
Iran has launched repeated attacks against Israel, US bases and allied states in the Gulf since the conflict began, while diplomatic efforts to bring the fighting to an end remain under pressure.
The UN General Assembly’s 81st session is already underway, with its General Debate scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The annual gathering will bring together world leaders for a series of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings.
Iranian President Pezeshkian is expected to address the General Assembly on Wednesday, according to the schedule cited in the BBC report. His appearance would provide Tehran with a major international platform to present its position on the conflict and its relations with the United States and Israel.
Foreign Minister Araghchi is also expected to play a key role in Iran’s diplomatic engagement in New York, where meetings between senior officials traditionally take place on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
The decision to grant visas to the Iranian delegation comes amid continuing political pressure on the US administration to seek an end to the conflict. The war has expanded beyond Iran and Israel, involving attacks and tensions across neighbouring countries and strategic waterways.
The US has imposed restrictions on previous Iranian delegations visiting the country. Last year, Iranian diplomats were prohibited from shopping at wholesale retailers such as Costco and were required to obtain permission before purchasing certain luxury goods, including jewellery, alcohol and cars.
The BBC also reported that the US recently denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian delegation for this year’s General Assembly. The White House has declined to recognise the legitimacy of the Palestinian delegation and has denied its members visas for a second consecutive year.
Pezeshkian’s expected appearance in New York therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment in US-Iran relations, with the Iranian president and foreign minister set to use the UN gathering for high-level diplomacy while the conflict between the two countries continues.