US Rejects Visas for Some Members of Iranian President's UN Delegation

The United States has turned down visa requests from some people in the delegation of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, among them communications staff, ahead of this week's United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to Iranian state media. Pezeshkian has been granted permission to take part in the event and is set to deliver remarks to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency condemned the refusal of visas, portraying it as a hostile act by the US government. In an unprecedented hostile move by the US government, [US President Donald] Trump has denied US visas to certain members of the president's high-level delegation, including members of his communications team, IRNA reported. The Mehr news agency also reported the visa denials, attributing the information to a spokesperson for the Iranian presidency. The US State Department had previously confirmed that Iran's main delegation would be allowed to attend the UN General Assembly, but that its members would be subject to restrictions while in the United States. The delegation is smaller than last year's and will face travel limits, as well as restrictions on purchasing luxury goods and certain other items. Pezeshkian is expected to be the most senior Iranian official to enter the United States since the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is also part of the delegation, departed Iran on Sunday evening for a stopover in Qatar before continuing to New York. The UN gathering is taking place amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran and efforts to deal with restrictions affecting the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important route for global oil and gas shipments. Iran says it has communicated through Qatar, which has served as a mediator, its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz after limiting shipping through the route since the conflict started. The United States has, in turn, imposed restrictions on Iranian ports as part of its response to Tehran's actions. Despite the limits placed on some members of Pezeshkian's delegation, the Iranian president and other senior officials are expected to take part in the UN meetings in New York.