Story perspectives

State Department Grants Iran Visas Despite Ongoing War

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 2:07 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump attended the 81st UN General Assembly in New York during the week of Sept 21-26, 2026.
Security forces closed streets around the UN headquarters as leaders gathered.
State Department granted visas to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi despite the war.
UN Security Council held three straw polls for the next Secretary-General, with Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett among front-runners.

History

Historical Context

In September 2009, the 64th United Nations General Assembly in New York barred Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from obtaining a visa, heightening U.S.–Iran tensions. The U.S. State Department denied the sole visa request, and the United Nations Security Council later held three straw polls to shortlist Secretary-General candidates. In 2026, Donald Trump attended the 81st UNGA, visas granted to Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian and Abbas Araghchi; Rebeca Grynspan and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett topped polls. These diplomatic shifts echo past visa controversies, suggesting that UN gatherings increasingly become arenas where rival powers negotiate access and influence senior UN appointments.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump attended the 81st UN General Assembly in New York during the week of Sept 21-26, 2026.
Security forces closed streets around the UN headquarters as leaders gathered.
State Department granted visas to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi despite the war.
UN Security Council held three straw polls for the next Secretary-General, with Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett among front-runners.

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