US Grants Visa for UN Visit to Iran's President

The US has decided not to slam the door on Iran's leaders, even as the two countries remain locked in a months-long standoff, the Independent reports. Visas for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and essential staff allowing them to attend next week's UN General Assembly in New York have been approved, the State Department confirmed Thursday. As the host country for United Nations headquarters, the US generally is limited in what it can do to prevent foreign leaders from coming to the General Assembly, per the AP.

Still, it has in the past denied visas to—or discouraged applications from—leaders involved in active conflicts with the US. Washington still labels Iran the top state sponsor of terrorism. On Wednesday, the State Department announced that it had denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation, blocking them from attending the General Assembly. The agency said Palestinian officials hadn't kept their commitments under previous agreements to seek peace with Israel, per the AP.