The United States has approved visas for a core Iranian delegation, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to attend next week’s United Nations General Assembly high-level meetings in New York, even as the two countries remain locked in a war that began in late February and has now entered its seventh month.
A State Department spokesman confirmed the decision on Thursday, stating that the move aligns with America’s obligations as the host country for the United Nations. The core delegation and essential support staff will be permitted to participate in the 81st session’s High-Level Week.
“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 told the BBC. “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.”
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to visa privacy rules, confirmed that Pezeshkian and Araghchi form part of the approved group. The restrictions mirror those applied previously, when Iranian diplomats were barred from wholesale retailers such as Costco and required prior permission for purchases of jewelry, alcohol, cars and other luxury items.
The decision comes one day after the State Department denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian delegation for the second consecutive year. The White House does not recognize the legitimacy of the Palestinian representation and cited related foreign policy considerations in the denial.
The conflict between the United States and Iran began on February 28, 2026, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets. Iran responded with repeated attacks on U.S. bases, allied states in the Gulf, and Israel. The fighting has driven up global energy prices and expanded into neighboring countries, with no clear end in sight.
Intermittent diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran have continued alongside the military exchanges, though no comprehensive agreement has been reached to halt hostilities or fully reopen key waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian-backed Houthi forces have also intensified attacks on shipping and infrastructure in the Red Sea, adding further pressure on energy markets.
Under the 1947 United Nations Headquarters Agreement, the United States is generally required to permit access for foreign diplomats and leaders attending official UN sessions. Washington retains authority to deny visas on security, terrorism or foreign policy grounds, a power it has exercised in the Palestinian case but not against the Iranian core group this year.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly is already underway. The General Debate, its centerpiece, is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 22. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to speak that day, alongside other leaders including those from the United Kingdom and France.
Wednesday’s schedule is expected to feature addresses from the leaders of Ukraine, Syria and Iran. President Pezeshkian is listed among the speakers for the high-level segment, giving the Iranian leader a platform in New York while the war continues.
Public and political pressure has increased on the White House to seek a resolution to the conflict. The war has produced significant casualties, damaged infrastructure across the region, and sustained elevated oil prices for months.
Last year’s Iranian delegation faced similar commercial restrictions. Officials noted that this year’s group is deliberately smaller, reflecting ongoing security and policy considerations even as host-country obligations require basic access for the core leadership.
The visa approvals underscore the distinction the United States draws between its legal responsibilities as UN host and its broader foreign policy stance toward Tehran. While talks aimed at ending the fighting have occurred on and off, military activity and proxy actions have persisted without a lasting ceasefire.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry had not issued an immediate public response to the State Department announcement at the time of reporting. The Iranian president and foreign minister are now cleared to travel under the stated conditions for the high-level week that begins next Tuesday.