New Delhi. The Trump administration will allow a delegation of top Iranian officials to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UN) to be held in New York next week. This decision has been taken at a time when there is tension between America and Iran and intermittent talks are going on between the two countries to end the conflict.
The US State Department said on Thursday that the Iranian delegation will be allowed to attend the General Assembly meeting, fulfilling its responsibilities as the host country of the United Nations. According to sources, those getting visas will include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi.
This conflict started on February 28 after the attack on Iran by America and Israel. In response, Tehran attacked Israel and the Gulf countries where American military bases are present. Since then, talks between the US and Iran to end the conflict have been intermittent.
Sanctions on Iranian delegation will continue
A US State Department spokesperson said travel restrictions would remain in place for the Iranian delegation. Apart from this, under the current American policy, the ban on purchasing luxury and other goods will also remain in force. The spokesperson said that the delegation will be smaller than last year.
The US has previously imposed restrictions on the movement of Iranian officials in New York, limiting their travel mainly to the UN headquarters, Iran's UN mission, the residence of Iran's ambassador to the UN, and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
America's responsibilities under UN agreement
Under the UN Headquarters Agreement of 1947, the US has a responsibility to generally provide foreign diplomats access to the UN. However, America says that visa can be refused on the basis of issues like security, terrorism and foreign policy.
This decision to allow the Iranian delegation has come at a time when the Trump administration had announced a day earlier to deny permission to Palestinian officials to enter the US.