20/09/26
By AfterPost
The State Department confirmed it late Thursday:
> “Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level Week,” a spokesman said. a8a3
A source familiar with the decision confirmed to AFP, AP and Al Jazeera that the core delegation includes President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi plus essential staff. d0f5
*Here is what we know:*
*1. When and what he will do:*
The 81st UN General Assembly High-Level Week starts September 22 at UN Headquarters in New York. Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the General Assembly on *Tuesday, September 23*. 89ba
During the visit he will present Iran's positions on global issues — specifically what Tehran calls “the war waged by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic,” the nuclear program, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of several countries on the sidelines.
A high-ranking delegation will accompany him, as is traditional — every year Iranian presidents travel to UNGA in late September / early October to speak from the UN podium.
*2. It will not be a normal visit:*
The US said the delegation will be *smaller than last year*, under tight travel restrictions and banned from buying luxury goods. d0f5
That means, as in past years, movement limited to: UN Headquarters, Iranian UN Mission, Ambassador's residence, and JFK airport only. No shopping trips in Manhattan.
This is happening while the US and Iran are in month 7 of a direct war that began February 28 when US and Israeli strikes hit Iran. Tehran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel and Gulf bases hosting US troops, and imposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20% of world seaborne oil passes.
The result: oil is now $105 a barrel, shipping is still restricted in both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb where Houthi forces seized Mayun Island. a8a3
President Donald Trump has said the conflict is “nearing an end” and claimed direct talks with Tehran, but fighting continues to flare.
*3. The massive contrast with Palestine:*
Just one day before approving Iran's visas, the same State Department *denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas* and his delegation for the second year in a row, forcing him to address UNGA by video. d0f5
Washington says it can deny visas for “security, terrorism and foreign policy” reasons despite the 1947 UN headquarters agreement, but for Iran it cited “host country obligations.”
*Why This UNGA Speech Matters:*
This will be Pezeshkian's most confrontational UN podium moment yet. In 2024, his speech focused on sanctions and Gaza. This time, he will speak as a wartime president, under US sanctions, on US soil, while his country is actively blocking the world's most important oil chokepoint.
Expect three messages:
- Iran portraying US-Israel strikes as violation of UN Charter and war crimes — a UN fact-finding mission already raised possible war crimes by the US in Iran
- Demand for end to war and reopening of talks on nuclear program — but on Iran's terms
- Warning that Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until aggression stops
For the US, letting him in is a legal obligation but also optics: denying Iran while hosting 150 world leaders would be seen as avoiding diplomacy during a war that has sent gas prices to record highs.
*Bottom line: Yes, it is true. Pezeshkian is coming to New York. And his speech on September 23 will be one of the most watched — and most tense — in UNGA history.*
Sources: US State Department, Al Jazeera, AP, Channel News Asia