Iranian president’s media team denied US visa, says official

An Iranian official said Monday that the US refused visas to the media team accompanying President Masoud Pezeshkian on his planned visit Tuesday to New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The Iranian public would be kept informed of the latest developments regarding the bilateral meetings Pezeshkian would have during his visit, Habibollah Abbasi, director general of public relations at the Iranian presidency, said in remarks carried by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.

He said Pezeshkian’s visit to the US would last five days, including two days allocated for travel.

Abbasi added that the Iranian president would be accompanied by Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei, chief of staff of the Iranian presidency, and Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, deputy head of presidential protocol and ceremonies.

He said Pezeshkian would meet with a number of leaders attending the UN meetings during his stay in New York.

US authorities have not yet commented on the matter.

The development comes amid continued tensions between the US and Iran, as their negotiations remain stalled over disagreements concerning navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for energy and commodity supplies.

On Feb. 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.