The United States will permit a limited delegation from Iran to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday, even as U.S.-Iran tensions persist and periodic talks aimed at ending the conflict continue.
The State Department described the group as a "core delegation from the Iranian regime" and said allowing its attendance aligns with the United States' obligations as the U.N. host country. A source familiar with the decision said visas will be issued to senior figures, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
The spokesperson added that the delegation will face travel restrictions and prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods under existing U.S. policy. The delegation will be smaller than last year, the spokesperson said.
U.S. officials have engaged in on-again, off-again talks with Iran’s leaders that aim to end the war that began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. The Iranian response to those attacks included strikes on Israel and on Gulf states that host U.S. military bases.
Previously, the U.S. government has limited Iran’s delegation by banning access to certain shops and restricting movement to a narrow corridor between United Nations headquarters, the Iranian U.N. mission, the U.N. ambassador’s residence and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. The State Department indicated similar movement and purchasing limitations will apply to this year’s delegation.
Requests for comment to Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not receive an immediate response.
Legal obligations under the 1947 U.N. "headquarters agreement" generally require the United States to permit access for foreign diplomats to the United Nations. The U.S. government, however, maintains the ability to deny visas on grounds it describes as related to "security, terrorism and foreign policy."
In a separate decision, the administration announced on Wednesday that Palestinian officials will be denied entry to the U.N. meeting, continuing a ban that has been in effect since last year. The administration cited actions by Palestinian representatives to "internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," including pursuing cases against Israel at international tribunals. A Palestinian official said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was denied a visa as part of the action.
The decisions on visas and movement for delegations reflect continuing tensions between diplomatic access obligations and the U.S. policy judgments tied to security and foreign policy concerns.