US denies visas to Iranian presidential media team ahead of UN General Assembly

The United States has denied visas to members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's media team who were due to accompany him to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on 21 September.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the decision affected journalists and media personnel travelling as part of the Iranian presidential delegation.

“When a government slams the door shut—even on American journalists it dislikes—and blocks foreign reporters, including the Iranian President’s media team whose voices it seeks to silence,” Baghaei said in a post on X.

He described the decision as an attempt to restrict access to information and conceal what he said was the truth.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not say how many members of the media team had been denied visas.

The dispute comes as Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to New York on Tuesday, 22 September, for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The General Assembly's annual high-level general debate begins on 22 September and continues through 26 September, with a further sitting on 28 September.

Pezeshkian due in New York for UN meeting

Pezeshkian's planned visit comes during the General Assembly's high-level week, when heads of state and government gather at UN headquarters to address the annual general debate.

The UN says the 81st session is being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All”. The General Assembly represents all 193 UN member states, with each country represented in the Assembly.

The Iranian president has previously addressed the General Assembly. In September 2024, Pezeshkian delivered Iran's national statement during the 79th session. The official UN record shows that he addressed the Assembly in Farsi, with English interpretation provided by the Iranian delegation.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry's latest statement did not say that Pezeshkian himself had been denied entry. The complaint concerns the media personnel accompanying his delegation.

The United States had also previously imposed restrictions on the movement of Pezeshkian and other Iranian officials travelling to New York for the UN General Assembly.

In a letter to the UN in September 2025, Iran's permanent representative complained about US restrictions on the movement of Pezeshkian, then Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other members of the Iranian delegation.

Iran says media access has been restricted

Baghaei linked the latest visa decision to broader questions about journalists' access to political institutions.

He said the denial of visas to the Iranian president's media team was not simply an administrative decision concerning access, but an attempt to prevent journalists from reporting and to continue what he characterised as a disinformation campaign.

His comments were published by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on 21 September.

No detailed explanation from the US State Department concerning the individual visa decisions was identified in the available public statements reviewed for this report.

US visa decisions involving foreign officials and journalists can involve immigration, security and diplomatic considerations, but the available US government material reviewed did not provide a specific explanation for the Iranian media team's visa denials.

Dispute follows White House restrictions on US media

The Iranian statement also comes amid a separate dispute between the administration of US President Donald Trump and several American news organisations.

On 18 September, Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer have access to the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing what he called “fake news”.

The White House subsequently said the three organisations had been removed from the White House grounds.

In a statement published on 21 September, the White House said the First Amendment protects the outlets' right to publish but argued that it does not guarantee access to White House facilities, briefing-room seats or the presidential press pool.

The White House statement also said restrictions on press access had occurred under previous administrations and defended the administration's authority to determine access to the White House.

The dispute has also moved to the courts, with CNN, MS NOW and Politico suing the Trump administration over their exclusion from the White House. The three outlets argue that the restrictions violate their constitutional rights after their reporters were denied access and their press credentials revoked.

A US judge has scheduled a hearing on their request to restore access. The White House has defended the restrictions, saying access to its facilities is a privilege rather than a right. The lawsuit adds to the wider dispute over press access as Iran separately protests the denial of visas to members of Pezeshkian’s media team.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry's statement about the visa denials did not formally link the decision to the White House's separate dispute with US media organisations. Baghaei nevertheless referred in his statement to restrictions affecting both foreign reporters and American journalists.

UN General Assembly begins high-level debate

The visa dispute is unfolding as the General Assembly begins its annual high-level debate in New York.

The UN's schedule lists 22 September as the opening day of the general debate, with heads of state, government leaders and ministers scheduled to present their countries' positions on international issues.

The UN has also made the proceedings available through UN Web TV, including live coverage of the general debate.

Pezeshkian's planned arrival in New York means the Iranian president is expected to participate in the high-level diplomatic programme despite the visa dispute involving members of his media team.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry's latest statement did not indicate that the dispute would prevent Pezeshkian from attending the General Assembly or delivering Iran's address.