The United States has denied a visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in New York next year.

This marks the second consecutive year that he has been barred from participating directly in the annual UN gathering.

Concurrently, Washington has announced an expansion of visa restrictions targeting officials of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

According to Al Jazeera, AFP reported the visa denial citing a source familiar with the matter. Last year, member states permitted Abbas to participate via video link, allowing him to address the assembly virtually.

Reasons Behind the Visa Denial and Restrictions
Prior to the decision to withhold the visa, the U.S. State Department announced that visa restrictions on PA and PLO members would be expanded, accusing them of failing to implement reforms and undermining the prospects for peace.

Just days ahead of the UN General Assembly session, the State Department informed Congress that the PLO and PA once again failed to fulfill commitments under U.S. law.

Reasons cited include actions taken in international bodies, such as efforts to escalate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Furthermore, the U.S. State Department accused Palestinian officials of avoiding negotiations by unilaterally seeking recognition of a Palestinian state instead of pursuing a negotiated settlement. The department also alleged that the PLO and PA continue to provide "stipends to terrorists and glorify terrorism."

These measures coincide with the upcoming 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Similar actions were taken by the U.S. ahead of the 2025 general assembly, where PLO and PA officials were denied visas or had existing visas revoked.

Although the Palestinian Authority's mission at the UN retained certain exemptions under the UN Headquarters Agreement, President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend in person last year and instead delivered a virtual address.

The Palestinian side has not yet issued any immediate public response regarding the U.S. visa announcement.

U.S. State Department's Stance
Previously, Anadolu Agency asked the U.S. State Department whether a final decision had been made regarding visas for Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian delegation, as well as the legal basis for the denials and sanctions.

In an email statement, U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Paloma Chakon stated that the Trump administration considers "every visa decision a national security decision"—including those concerning participants in the UN General Assembly.

Chakon stated:

"We take our responsibilities as the UN host country seriously. However, we will continue to protect Americans by ensuring the highest standards of vetting and security checks for all applicants."

She added that delegations have been provided guidelines regarding visa applications ahead of the general assembly, noting that applications may be rejected if they fail to meet prescribed vetting criteria or do not comply with other directives.