Two Iranian diplomats participating in United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York were expelled from the United States after failing to comply with an order to leave the country, an American official told Axios. The expulsions follow stalled diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war between the two nations, highlighting deep mutual distrust.
US State Department Orders Immediate Departure
The diplomatic standoff began when the US State Department instructed the Iranian mission at the United Nations that the entire Iranian delegation must depart the country immediately. According to Axios, the directive followed the conclusion of high-level meetings at the UN, prompting Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take firm action against remaining delegation members.
While high-level meetings at the UN had concluded, two members of the Iranian delegation remained in New York well past the scheduled timeline. The State Department notified the Iranian mission that the individuals were still in the city despite prior warnings, prompting a renewed and final demand for their immediate exit.
Disputing the Timeline of Departure
The Iranian mission at the United Nations rejected the characterization of the event as an expulsion, asserting that the delegation departed New York voluntarily on Monday evening in accordance with a schedule provided to the US State Department in advance on September 17. The mission stated through its official social media channels that the narrative promoted by the State Department lacked factual basis.
Conversely, American officials maintained that Secretary Rubio’s intervention constituted an explicit rebuke. One diplomat departed Manhattan on Friday night, while the second left Saturday morning after authorities confirmed their continued presence in the city. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his core delegation had previously departed on a flight to Doha, Qatar, arriving early Tuesday morning.
Broader Diplomatic Stagnation
The incident highlights the widening chasm between Washington and Tehran during frozen indirect talks.
Behind the Stalled Negotiations
Two American officials told the Associated Press that after limited progress in meetings late last week between Iranian negotiators and Qatari mediators, Secretary of State Marco Rubio lost his patience and instructed the Iranians on Monday that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation must leave New York immediately. According to one of the officials, Rubio concluded that the Iranians had overstayed their welcome
now that high-level United Nations meetings had ended. On Monday morning, the White House still believed there was a possibility of making progress in talks with Iran later that day, but by late afternoon it became clear that negotiations had reached an impasse. Until Wednesday evening, the US State Department had not issued an official comment regarding this information or the Iranian response. Meanwhile, Qatar continues its mediation efforts in parallel with the stalemate in indirect talks between Washington and Tehran, while uncertainty persists regarding the repercussions of the failure.
US Orders Iranian Diplomats to Leave New York
Who ordered the removal of the Iranian diplomats from New York?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed the State Department to issue the departure orders to the Iranian mission after negotiations reached an impasse.
When did the Iranian delegation originally leave New York?
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and most of the delegation departed on a flight to Doha at 1:20 AM on Tuesday, though two delegation members remained behind before being expelled over the weekend.
What did the Iranian mission at the UN say in response?
The Iranian mission denied that the delegation was expelled, stating on the platform X that all members left according to a schedule submitted to the State Department on September 17.
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