Iran Foreign Minister Gets U.S. Protection at UN Assembly

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi requested and received U.S. security protection for his visit to New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to a State Department document dated September 18 confirming the agency agreed to provide Diplomatic Security Service personnel after assessing possible threats. Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday evening, local time, at the head of a high-ranking Iranian delegation, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. He was welcomed at John F. Kennedy International Airport by Gholamhossein Darzi, Iran's permanent representative and chargé d'affaires to the United Nations. Before reaching New York, Araghchi stopped in Doha for consultations with Qatari officials on regional developments, though no further details of those talks were provided. The Diplomatic Security Service said that after a thorough analysis, it would provide increased security for Iran's top foreign policy figure. The State Department document confirms receipt of a diplomatic note requesting protection and the U.S. decision to provide it. The specific threats underlying the assessment have not been disclosed.