Trump Admin Approves Visas For Iran Leaders To Attend UNGA

The State Department said it had approved visas for Iran's "core delegation" including the president, foreign minister, and essential staffers.

The Trump administration has approved visas for top Iranian officials to attend next week’s U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting.

The State Department said it had approved visas for Iran’s “core delegation.” That includes the president, foreign minister, and essential staffers.

The move is unusual as Iran and the U.S. have been in conflict for over six-months. There are also no signs that agreements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or return to talks on Iran’s nuclear program are close. The move also comes as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have stepped up attacks in The Red Sea, another major maritime route.

As the host country for the United Nations headquarters, the U.S. is generally limited in what it can do to prevent foreign leaders from coming to the General Assembly. However, it has in the past denied visas to or discouraged applications from leaders involved in active conflicts with the U.S..