The Trump administration has approved visas for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other members of Tehran’s core delegation to attend next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, despite the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran, The Associated Press reported.
The State Department confirmed Thursday that visas had been granted to Iran’s “core delegation" as well as essential staff members. US officials said the delegation includes Pezeshkian and Araghchi.
“Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend the UN General Assembly High Level week. The delegation will be under travel restrictions and will face prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods per our policy. The delegation is smaller than last year," the State Department said.
The decision comes after more than six months of war between the United States and Iran, with no indication that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or resume negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program is imminent.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have also intensified attacks on Saudi infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, another major regional trade route whose disruptions have contributed to higher global oil prices.
Iran is also under extensive US sanctions and is designated by Washington as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The Trump administration has launched “Operation Economic Outcast" in recent weeks, targeting what it calls Iran’s “critical financial lifelines."
US policy toward Iranian officials attending the UN is shaped in part by Washington’s obligations as host of the UN headquarters. While the United States has broad authority to impose restrictions, it has previously denied or discouraged visas for foreign officials involved in active conflicts with Washington.
Iranian officials faced similar restrictions during last year’s General Assembly. Although a limited number of visas were approved, their movements around New York were tightly restricted, and they were prohibited from shopping at wholesale membership retailers such as Costco and Sam’s Club.
Those restrictions will again apply this year. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Thursday that Iranian officials assigned to the UN mission, visiting officials and their dependents will remain barred from purchasing luxury goods or wholesale club memberships in the United States.
In a post on social media, Pigott said the measures were intended to prevent Iranian officials from using their UN visit for luxury shopping.
"While ordinary Iranians endure brutal repression, water and electricity shortages, and soaring inflation, the regime's officials want to go on shopping sprees in New York. Not on our watch," he wrote.
"We will not let the Iranian regime’s elites exploit UNGA for a luxury retail splurge paid for by the Iranian people's suffering, all while the regime funnels Iran’s wealth to support its terrorist proxies. The US will continue to ban Iranian UN Mission officials, visiting officials, and their dependents from buying wholesale club memberships or luxury goods here. New York-area retailers: be on guard, don’t become complicit in these violations," added Pigott.