World leaders gather in New York every September for several days of speeches at the annual United Nations General Assembly, which on Tuesday begins its 80th session.
The economy is the top challenge for Iran’s ruling clerics, who fear a revival of protests that have erupted since 2017 by lower and middle-income communities angry at growing poverty because of sanctions, mismanagement and state corruption.Though it harbours deep mistrust of the United States, and President Donald Trump in particular, Tehran is increasingly concerned that mounting public anger over economic hardships could weaken the establishment.
That is why, despite the unyielding stance of Iran’s clerical leaders in public, Tehran prefers diplomacy to resolve a decades-long dispute with the West over its nuclear programme.
The United States, its European allies and Israel accuse Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. Tehran has long denied it.
Tensions have heightened between Tehran and Washington since June, when the United States joined Israel and attacked Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
There are growing concerns among Iran’s clerical rulers over what they perceive as Trump’s intention to topple the Islamic Republic.
Tehran’s concerns were exacerbated by Trump’s speedy revival of the “maximum pressure” campaign, from his first term as US president, to drive Iran’s oil exports toward zero with more sanctions and bring the country’s already-fragile economy to its knees.
Pigott said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had ordered the Iranian delegation confined to routes between their hotel and the UN headquarters for official business only.
Iran’s foreign ministry did not comment on the US State Department restrictions.
The United Nations headquarters is located in Midtown Manhattan. Before the new restrictions, Iranian delegation members were allowed to travel between the United Nations, the Iranian UN mission, the Iranian UN ambassador’s residence and John F Kennedy International Airport in the New York City borough of Queens.
“The security of Americans remains our top priority,” Pigott said, adding that the US will not let the Iranian regime exploit the UN General Assembly to advance what he called its “terrorist agenda” or enjoy privileges denied to its own people.
“These measures send a clear message: the United States stands with the people of Iran in their pursuit of accountability and a better future,” he said.
