US Lets Iran Delegation at UNGA Amid War, Bars Palestinian President Abbas from New York – Why

The State Department announced on Thursday that a slim Iranian team, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, will be allowed into New York for the high‑level week of the United Nations General Assembly. It’s a bit of a paradox – Washington is still locked in a seven‑month war with Tehran, yet, as the host nation, it is obliged to let the core Iranian delegation in.

That delegation won’t be as large as last year’s, and it will travel under a tight leash. The officials will face movement restrictions, and they are barred from buying luxury items or certain high‑end products. In short, they can sit in the hall, but they can’t shop on Fifth Avenue.

At the same time, the same US officials once again turned down a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. This marks the second year in a row that the Palestinian leader has been kept from stepping foot in the city for the UN meeting.

Why? The State Department cited the Palestinian Authority’s “failure to reform” and activities it says undermine peace prospects. While the official statement didn’t name Abbas outright, sources familiar with the matter confirmed that his application was rejected.

Because of the denial, Abbas will, yet again, address the General Assembly from a screen. The UN voted overwhelmingly – 152 in favour, three against – to let him speak virtually. The Palestinian foreign ministry slammed the US move as “unjustified,” warning that it could set back any progress toward a two‑state solution.

Washington’s grievances with the Palestinian leadership go beyond reforms. The US has repeatedly criticized the PA’s former practice of paying families of Palestinians jailed or killed in attacks on Israelis. Although the PA says it has shifted those payments to a need‑based system, Washington remains skeptical and accuses the PLO and PA of trying to internationalise the conflict through courts like the ICC and ICJ.

The allowance for Iran, meanwhile, occurs against a backdrop of continued missile strikes, a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and rising oil prices. Tehran’s retaliation has kept shipping lanes like Hormuz and Bab al‑Mandab under tight watch, so the presence of an Iranian delegation in New York is more symbolic than celebratory.

In the end, the UN’s own rules force the host country to let all member states be represented, even if political ties are frosty. For Abbas, the virtual podium is a bitter compromise; for Iran, the restricted entry is a small concession amid a larger geopolitical showdown.