▲ Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
The U.S. government has denied visa issuance to some members of the entourage accompanying Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to the UN General Assembly, including the public relations team, Iranian state media reported on September 21 (local time).
State-run IRNA reported, "Due to an unprecedented hostile measure by the U.S. government, visa issuance has been denied for some members of the high-ranking delegation, including the public relations team."
The semi-official Mehr News Agency also reported the news, citing a spokesperson for the Iranian presidential office.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took to X to reference the Donald Trump administration's recent decision to ban three major U.S. media outlets from the White House over discontent with their reporting, fiercely criticizing the visa denials as an "act that tramples upon the right to access information."
He criticized, "The U.S. government blocking the access of domestic journalists it dislikes, while also shutting out foreign journalists including the Iranian president's public relations team whom it wishes to silence, is not about managing access but about hiding the truth."
Previously, the U.S. State Department announced on September 17 that while it would approve travel for the Iranian delegation to attend the UN General Assembly, it would impose restrictive measures such as banning the purchase of luxury goods and other items, similar to last year.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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