US grants visas to Iranian delegation for UN assembly while barring Palestinian President Abbas

The United States has agreed to grant visas to an Iranian delegation, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, to attend the United Nations General Assembly High Level Week in New York, the State Department confirmed on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The diplomatic dispensation comes despite an ongoing military conflict between the US and Iran that has entered its seventh month.

What restrictions will the Iranian delegation face at the UN?

Under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, the United States is legally required to facilitate transit and visa processing for foreign diplomats attending official UN functions. However, State Department officials emphasized that the Iranian delegation will face stringent operational restrictions while on American soil:

• Delegation Size: Washington restricted the total size of the diplomatic entourage, ensuring a significantly smaller footprint compared to prior years.
• Geographic Travel Limits: Iranian diplomats will be subject to strict travel radius restrictions, limiting their movement strictly to designated sectors between UN headquarters and diplomatic properties in Manhattan.
• Commercial Restrictions: The State Department imposed explicit prohibitions on the purchase of luxury goods, financial transactions with non-essential entities, and unauthorized equipment acquisitions.

The decision to permit Pezeshkian's attendance arrives during a period of intense regional volatility following US-Israeli military strikes on Iran and Tehran's ongoing counter-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Why were Palestinian Authority officials denied visas?

In contrast to the approval granted to Tehran, Washington confirmed it denied entry visas to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and senior members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the second consecutive year. The decision forces Abbas to address world leaders via pre-recorded video.

The State Department justified the exclusion by citing the Palestinian Authority’s "failure to reform" and ongoing political activities that the US administration claims "undermine the prospects for peace." The contrasting decisions underscore the Trump administration's selective enforcement of host country provisions amid broader Middle Eastern diplomatic realignments.