Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi headed to the UN General Assembly on Monday. According to Iranian pro-regime media the president left via Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on Sunday evening.
“One of the pillars of the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is interaction with the countries of the world and regional and international organizations,” he said, according to Iran’s Tasnim News.
Iran is seeking to put out messaging about its role in “development, peace, justice and global security.” Iran cares about the UN and wants to use the organization for its own ends. In the past, it has prevented most critique at the UN despite Iran’s track record of human rights abuses.
UNGA comes as Iran wrestles with renewed protests, Israel tensions
The Iranian leader will land in New York a year after Iran was rocked by protests over the killing of Mahsa Jina Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman who was killed by Iranian police.
The trip comes amid Israel-Iran tensions and as Iran is set to receive a $6 billion payout for a hostage exchange. Iran has agreed to release several detainees in exchange for the billions it claims are held overseas. The money will be transferred via Qatar.
Rich Goldberg, Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies noted on social media that “the sanctioned president of Iran is flying on a sanctioned aircraft on a Biden-approved visa to enter the US where he is actively plotting terror attacks on US citizens. $6 billion will arrive in his bank accounts by the time he lands. And Biden will declare mission accomplished.”
The sanctioned president of Iran is flying on a sanctioned aircraft on a Biden-approved visa to enter the US where he is actively plotting terror attacks on US citizens. $6 billion will arrive in his bank accounts by the time he lands. And Biden will declare mission accomplished. https://t.co/n7j53H0X35
— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) September 18, 2023
Source » jpost