The Trump administration has approved visas for Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and his delegation to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The decision comes as direct hostilities between the US and Iran continue. The US and Israel’s military campaign against Iran remains unresolved after more than six months.
The US State Department said that, as the UN’s host country, it must allow the basic Iranian delegation to attend High-Level Week. This year, the Iranian team will be smaller than in previous years. Last year, several Iranian press members were denied visas. The US has also placed strict limits on the delegation’s activities in New York, including a ban on buying luxury goods. Al Jazeera and AP reported that the delegation includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. US officials said the measures reflect the country’s obligations as host nation and leave pressure on Iran unchanged.
"Until the last moment, there was uncertainty about President Pezeshkian's participation, as Tehran publicly stated he had not received his visa just days before the trip."
Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the General Assembly next Wednesday. Until recently, it was unclear whether he would attend: Tehran reported on Monday that he had not yet received his visa. The visit follows failed peace talks and continued US efforts to pressure the Iranian government, which remains in power despite ongoing military action. The visa decision came only after Iranian officials had raised concerns about delays.
The US and Iran have no formal diplomatic relations, but Iran maintains accredited diplomats at the United Nations. Under the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US must allow entry and stay for official business, regardless of tensions between the two countries. Both the UN and US authorities have reiterated that accreditation obliges the US to grant access for official UN work, even without diplomatic ties.
On the same day the US confirmed Iran’s attendance, China and Russia vetoed a US-backed resolution in the UN Security Council that would have extended the mandate of the expert panel overseeing sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program. Set up in 2010, the panel supports the committee that monitors embargoes on nuclear-related trade and arms with Iran. China and Russia voted against the renewal, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained. The News Pakistan and Straits Times reported that the final vote was 11 in favor, 2 against and 2 abstentions. The panel’s mandate will expire on September 26.
Russia and China justified their vetoes by arguing that UN sanctions mechanisms on Iran were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal, a position cited by several Western agencies as central to their decision.
The Iranian mission to the UN welcomed the vetoes by Beijing and Moscow and criticized the US-led resolution as politically motivated. In a statement on X, the mission accused the US and its allies of trying to manipulate the Security Council for their own interests and praised Russia and China for defending the UN Charter.
Disputes over Iran’s nuclear activities and sanctions enforcement continue to shape international diplomacy. The current Security Council standoff echoes other recent disputes, including those covered in this earlier report by RUSSPAIN, where vetoes and procedural hurdles have blocked consensus on sensitive issues.
The US decision to allow Pezeshkian’s entry while maintaining strict controls reflects its international obligations, not an improvement in relations. The smaller Iranian delegation and ongoing restrictions reflect continued mistrust and the limits of diplomatic engagement. As the UN General Assembly meets, the conflict remains unresolved, while divisions in the Security Council make progress unlikely for now.
