Iran calls UNGA attendance its ‘legal right’ as US approves visas for core delegation
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Tehran: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York is Iran’s “legal right”, accusing adversaries of trying to block Tehran’s delegation from attending the annual gathering.
“Being present in New York holds absolutely no appeal for Iran’s representatives. However, it is a stronghold that must not be abandoned. Iran’s participation in the UNGA’s session is a legal right, not a favor to be granted to us by someone. Iran is one of the UN’s 50 founding members,” Baghaei said in an interview with state-run IRIB TV. He said it was Iran’s duty to attend the event and “make the world hear the Iranian people’s rightfulness”, alleging that “the other side” was using every tool to prevent the delegation’s participation.
Baghaei added that such “obstructionism and negative propaganda” would not deter Iran from exercising its legitimate right to take part in the session and present its positions.
The United States said it would issue visas to Iran’s “core delegation” for the UNGA “consistent with our host country obligations”, according to a State Department statement on Thursday. The delegation will be smaller than last year and will face travel restrictions and prohibitions on purchasing luxury and certain other goods while in the US, the statement said.
US officials indicated the approved core delegation includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with essential staff. The move comes despite the two countries being locked in a stalemated war that has entered its seventh month.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is set to place Iran’s nuclear ambitions at the centre of his UN diplomacy next week, with talks planned with Gulf leaders and US officials warning of further consequences for entities doing business with Tehran. Trump will address the General Assembly on Tuesday before meeting Gulf Cooperation Council leaders in New York, with Iran expected to be a major subject of discussion.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said Trump’s speech would stress the importance of ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, a demand reflected in repeated UN Security Council resolutions. Waltz added the address would also cover diplomatic agreements, unresolved conflicts and progress on Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. When asked about possible US-Iran meetings, he declined to comment ahead of the finalisation of the president’s and secretary of state’s schedules.
(Inputs from IANS)