The Trump administration has threatened to revoke visas for the Palestinian UN delegation unless ambassador Riyad Mansour abandons his candidacy for vice president of the UN General Assembly, according to Reuters.
Reuters obtained an internal State Department cable, dated Wednesday, stating that US diplomats in Jerusalem received instructions Wednesday to warn that Mansour’s bid “fuels tensions” and risks undermining Trump’s Gaza peace plan. “To be clear, we will hold the PA responsible if the Palestinian delegation does not withdraw its VPGA candidacy,” the sensitive but unclassified cable stated.
Additionally, the document referenced the State Department’s September 2025 decision to waive visa sanctions for Palestinian UN mission officials. “It would be unfortunate to have to revisit any available options,” the cable, which NPR first reported, cautioned.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian mission at the UN did not immediately respond to a comment request. Furthermore, a State Department spokesperson said, “We take seriously our obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement. Due to visa record confidentiality, we have no comment on Department actions with respect to specific cases.”
UN Procedural Stakes
Mansour previously withdrew his candidacy for General Assembly president following US lobbying in February. However, the cable noted that election to the vice presidency could still allow him to preside over sessions. “Therefore, there is still a risk that the Palestinians could preside over GA sessions during UNGA81 unless they withdraw from the race,” it warned. Specifically, officials fear a worst-case scenario where the next PGA might assist Palestinians in presiding over high-profile Middle East sessions during September’s high-level week.
Delegates will elect the General Assembly president and 16 vice presidents on 2 June, with the Palestinian Authority holding observer state status at the UN, identical to the Vatican. Consequently, Palestine cannot vote in the 193-member assembly but maintains a diplomatic presence in New York.
Trump’s Gaza plan remains stalled, with Hamas refusing to lay down weapons, while ongoing Israeli operations have undermined an October ceasefire. Israeli forces currently occupy more than half of Gaza’s territory, demolishing most remaining buildings and ordering all residents to evacuate.
