US grants visas to Pezeshkian and Araghchi for New York as Trump says he is open to meeting Iranian president

Euro Times – New York

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are heading to New York for the United Nations General Assembly after the Trump administration approved visas for Iran’s core delegation, a notable development while Washington and Tehran remain at war.

The US State Department said the approval covers Iran’s “core delegation” and essential staff required for the high-level UN meetings. US officials said Pezeshkian and Araghchi are among those granted visas.

The decision has added political significance because US President Donald Trump has said he is open to meeting Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN gathering, even as Washington and Tehran have exchanged fresh threats.

No direct meeting between the two presidents has been announced, and any encounter therefore remains uncertain. Their simultaneous presence in New York nevertheless creates a rare potential diplomatic opening since the war began.

Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Wednesday. Trump is also attending a series of meetings in New York, including talks with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, with the Iran war, energy security and the Strait of Hormuz expected to feature prominently.

Washington has imposed travel restrictions on the Iranian delegation while it is in New York, as well as restrictions on purchases of luxury goods. The State Department said the delegation is smaller than last year and that allowing the core delegation to attend reflects US obligations as host country of the United Nations headquarters.

New York is therefore becoming a key test of whether a political channel can reopen between Washington and Tehran: Iran’s president and foreign minister are attending the UN meetings and Trump has publicly expressed willingness to meet Pezeshkian, but no formal meeting has yet been announced.

Sources: Reuters and Associated Press.