America just let Iran's leaders into the UN and shut out Palestine's

America just gave visas to the leaders of a country it's still at war with.

And a day earlier, it refused one to the Palestinian president.

So let's break this down.

The State Department says it approved visas for Iran's "core delegation" to come to the UN in New York next week.

That includes Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's President. And Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister.

US officials confirmed the names. They spoke anonymously, because visa records are private by law.

Here's the thing. America and Iran are still at war.

It started on 28 February this year. US and Israeli strikes hit Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, took over.

A ceasefire in June, brokered by Pakistan, calmed things down. But both sides keep trading strikes over alleged violations.

And right now, there's no sign talks on the Strait of Hormuz or Iran's nuclear programme are close.

So Washington is letting the leaders of an enemy it's still fighting walk into New York.

They won't move freely once they're there, though. The State Department says the delegation faces travel restrictions. No buying luxury goods. And it says this delegation is smaller than last year's.

This isn't the first time this has happened, either. Last year, after Iran's nuclear sites were hit, the US let a small group of Iranian diplomats in too — banned from Costco and Sam's Club, among other restrictions.

But here's what makes this one land differently.

One day before this approval, the State Department denied a visa to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority President.

This is the second year running America has blocked him from attending in person.

Why? The State Department says the Palestinian Authority tried to "internationalise" the Gaza war through the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. It also says the Palestinian Authority still pays stipends to Palestinians jailed in Israel for attacks on Israelis.