Iran foreign minister arrives in New York for UN General Assembly

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday, leading Tehran’s diplomatic delegation at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, the foreign ministry said.

Araghchi is the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

Araghchi spoke by phone with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres after his arrival and exchanged views on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, Iranian state television reported.

“Our most important objective is to use a major international platform to defend the legitimacy, rights, and interests of the Iranian people,” Araghchi was quoted as telling Iranian journalists.

Earlier, Iranian state media had reported that the Iranian delegation would be led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, and that the US had refused to issue visas to members of his delegation, including his communications team.

However, in a social post on X on Aragchi’s arrival in New York, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the minister as “head of a diplomatic delegation” at the General Assembly.

Baqaei said Aragchi “will hold talks and consultations with numerous officials and foreign ministers attending the session.”

While the US has authorised an Iranian delegation to travel for the UN gathering, it has, like last year, put restrictions in place.

Iran’s delegation will not, for instance, be allowed to purchase luxury goods or other items during their stay in New York City, the state department said Thursday.

Araghchi left Iran on Sunday evening and had a stopover in Qatar.

Iran says it has conveyed to the US, via Qatar as mediator, conditions for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz oil and gas shipping route, which it has effectively choked off since the war began.

The United States, in turn, is imposing a counterblockade of Iranian ports.

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