Iranian delegation set to dominate attention at upcoming UNGA session

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UNITED NATIONS: The expected arrival of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York is emerging as the most closely watched development of next week’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as the Iranian delegation would come at a time when the United States and Iran remain at war. The Washington Post underlined this development, noting in its report that the Trump administration had agreed to let Iran’s leaders attend the high-level UN meetings “even as the two countries remain at war.” Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the UNGA on Wednesday. The BBC likewise reported that the war was “grinding into its seventh month” and said the core Iranian delegation permitted to attend includes Pezeshkian and Araghchi. Al Jazeera noted that the General Assembly would also take place amid “deepening economic disturbances” that have triggered widespread inflation and affordability crises around the world. NBC News noted that President Donald Trump will address the General Assembly on Tuesday while President Pezeshkian is scheduled to speak on Wednesday. The State Department itself did not name the Iranian president or foreign minister when announcing the decision. Instead, it said: “Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level week.” It added that the delegation would be subject to travel restrictions and prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods and would be smaller than last year’s delegation. The decision to allow the Iranian delegation into the United States comes as Washington has again barred Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials from attending the General Assembly in person. The United States has denied Abbas a visa for the second consecutive year. Last year, the restriction meant that the Palestinian president addressed the UNGA by video rather than appearing in New York. The UNGA voted on Thursday to allow him to address this year’s gathering remotely as well. The State Department did not name Abbas in its announcement extending the visa sanctions. It said the restrictions were being continued because of the Palestinian Authority and PLO’s “failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace.” Washington has also cited Palestinian efforts to pursue cases against Israel in international courts as part of its justification for the restrictions. Palestinian officials have rejected the decision, calling it unjustified and saying it undermines efforts to rebuild Palestinian-US relations and advance peace. The Palestinians will nevertheless retain representation at the United Nations through diplomats already accredited to the organisation, while the UNGA has authorised Abbas to participate by video. The contrasting visa decisions are adding another diplomatic dimension to an already tense General Assembly. Pezeshkian is expected to appear at the same gathering as US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the war and its consequences for regional security, shipping and energy markets likely to feature prominently in discussions among governments attending the meeting. Various media outlets, in their previews of the UN gathering, said the US-Iran conflict, the Ukraine war, Israel-Palestinian tensions, Sudan and climate change would be among the major issues facing world leaders. They identified Pezeshkian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Netanyahu among the significant speakers. Pakistan’s diplomatic effort For Pakistan, Pezeshkian’s expected presence gives added importance to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s participation in the UNGA and Islamabad’s efforts to promote a negotiated settlement of the conflict. Pakistan has maintained contacts with Iran and other countries involved in efforts to end the war, emphasising dialogue, restraint and diplomacy. The presence of Pezeshkian and Araghchi in New York could provide another opportunity for Pakistan to pursue those contacts on the sidelines of the world’s largest annual diplomatic gathering. The Iranian delegation is expected to attract attention not only for what Pezeshkian says from the UN rostrum, but also for the diplomatic meetings that may take place around the UNGA. For Pakistan, the gathering will offer the premier a prominent international platform to present Islamabad’s position and continue its efforts for a peaceful settlement of the US-Iran conflict. With the war continuing and its economic and energy consequences extending beyond the region, attention in New York will be focused on what the Iranian delegation says and whether its presence creates space for diplomacy at a time when the conflict continues to dominate international attention.

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