The United States State Department announced on Thursday that an Iranian delegation will be allowed to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, even as the war that began in February has entered its seventh month.
The delegation, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, will be smaller than last year’s contingent and will face travel restrictions and bans on luxury goods, according to the spokesperson.
The decision comes after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in late February, which triggered Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and a spike in global oil prices.
In the same week, the U.S. denied a visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, marking the second consecutive year it has barred Palestinian officials from the Assembly, citing their failure to reform and undermine peace prospects.
The U.N. General Assembly will convene on Tuesday, and the Iranian delegation is expected to arrive on Monday, while the U.S. maintains its stance on diplomatic engagement amid escalating tensions.