Iran FM Araghchi arrives in New York for UN General Assembly

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday, September 21, leading Tehran's delegation to the UN General Assembly, making him the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in February. Araghchi spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after arriving and said his main goal was to defend the Iranian people's rights on a major international platform. The US has authorized the delegation's travel but imposed restrictions, including banning luxury purchases, while President Masoud Pezeshkian did not attend due to visa issues. Iran has conveyed conditions via Qatar for reopening the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, which it has choked off since the war began, while the US maintains a counterblockade of Iranian ports.