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The United States (US) has denied visas to some members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s delegation for this week’s UN General Assembly. Iranian state media reported the decision on Monday.
The affected officials include members of Pezeshkian’s communications team.
Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit the United States since the Middle East war began. The war started with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
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Iran’s state news agency IRNA described the visa decision as an “unprecedented hostile move” by the US government.
“In an unprecedented hostile move by the US government, (US President Donald) Trump has denied US visas to certain members of the president’s high-level delegation, including members of his communications team,” IRNA reported.
The Mehr news agency also reported the decision. It cited a spokesperson for the Iranian presidency. Mehr added that Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused the Trump administration of restricting access to information. He linked the decision to a recent US move against three major American media outlets.
The outlets were barred from the White House after objecting to restrictions on their coverage.
“When an administration slams its doors shut, even on American journalists it happens to dislike and bars foreign reporters, including the Iranian president’s media team, whose voices it would rather silence, it is not managing access; it is trying to hide the truth,” Baqaei said on X.
The United States has authorised an Iranian delegation to travel for the UN General Assembly. However, it will impose restrictions similar to those used last year.
The State Department said on Thursday that members of the Iranian delegation would not be allowed to purchase luxury goods or certain other items.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is part of the delegation. He left Iran on Sunday evening for a stopover in Qatar.
The visa dispute comes following wider tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran says it has sent the United States conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar has mediated the discussions.
Iran has sought to restrict the strategic oil and gas shipping route since the war began. Meanwhile, the United States has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports.
