Trump and Iran’s President to meet in NYC amid tight UNGA restrictions

President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are scheduled to appear at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, setting the stage for a tense diplomatic encounter. Iran’s delegation will attend under significant U.S. restrictions as Middle East tensions remain high.

Pezeshkian is slated to address the assembly on Wednesday, according to Reuters and Iran’s semi‑official news agency Mehr. Trump will take the podium on Tuesday.

“The choreography here is going to make for a fairly dramatic moment,” said former White House advisor Theo Wold. He explained that the restrictions will limit the Iranian team’s press access and commercial activities.

President Donald Trump addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 23, 2025. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

While the U.S. granted entry visas to the Iranian delegation—including Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi—the State Department has imposed strict movement limits within Manhattan. Under the 1947 UN agreement, the United States must allow entry for UN representatives, but officials say the limits are reasonable and designed to prevent “shopping sprees” and excessive consumption.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott warned on X, “While ordinary Iranians endure brutal repression, water and electricity shortages, and soaring inflation, the regime’s officials want to go on shopping sprees in New York. Not on our watch.”

Pezeshkian accused the U.S. of a “grave betrayal” at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24, 2025, in New York City. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters)

Wold noted that the United States is not required to grant unrestricted access beyond diplomatic obligations, adding that the delegation will be confined to its accommodation and the UN headquarters.

“Here, the delegation will be restricted to their accommodation in New York City and the U.N. headquarters there in Manhattan,” Wold clarified. He characterized the move by Washington as a way of telling the delegation it could participate in official discussions but not “go and buy a bunch of microwaves or a small car at Costco or a dealership in the greater New York area.”

Wold explained that the restrictions are meant to prevent the delegation from using the visit for commercial indulgence, noting that some limits specifically prohibit transactions with big‑box retailers such as Costco, Walmart, and Sam’s Club.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian walks to meet with France’s President Emmanuel Macron during the General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 24, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite the restrictions, Wold said UNGA provides Washington with the opportunity it has “wanted for quite some time to have a large enough audience, and a sort of captive Iranian delegation” to make its case against the Iranian regime.

Iranian state media reported that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said New York held “absolutely no charm” for the Iranian delegation and accused the U.S. of blocking participation.

Wold criticized the UN for hosting representatives of regimes hostile to U.S. interests and raised security concerns, questioning why diplomats from a country that has killed American service members are allowed to attend the UN.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, left, shakes hands with the U.N. Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres during the General Assembly on Sept. 25, 2025, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Wold added that the United Nations appears to lecture the U.S. on climate change and social issues while also providing a platform for regimes that violate human rights and international protocols.

Amid the ongoing hostility, Wold said the gathering could open the door for diplomacy. Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders to discuss regional security and the Strait of Hormuz.

“There’s hope for a ‘real discussion,’” Wold said, noting that U.S. officials are aiming for meaningful dialogue with Iran, free from the theatrics the Iranians have employed.

There is a hope that there’ll be an opportunity for closed‑door private discussions between the United States and Iranians to hammer out a cessation of hostilities.

Wold expressed confidence in Washington’s approach, stating, “The president is best equipped for these moments… He’s not one to bend or to break… I have no doubt at all that he’ll rise to the moment.”

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