US Extends Visa Ban on Palestinian Officials Including Abbas for Second Year, While Approving Limited Iranian Delegation to UNGA Amid Ongoing Tensions

The United States has denied entry visas to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior PA and PLO officials for the 2026 UN General Assembly, marking the second consecutive year of such restrictions. The State Department cited the PA's failure to reform, ongoing efforts to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through bodies like the ICC and ICJ, and actions undermining peace prospects as justification. Palestinian officials condemned the move as unjust and contrary to two-state solution efforts. In contrast, the US approved visas for a scaled-down Iranian delegation, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, despite a six-month US-Iran conflict, with added travel and luxury goods restrictions. The UN General Assembly voted to allow Abbas to address the body via video, as in 2025. Credible reporting from Reuters, AP, BBC, NYT, and Al Jazeera confirms these developments, highlighting the US balancing host country obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement against security and foreign policy priorities. This selective application of visa policy underscores shifting diplomatic dynamics in the Middle East.