Two members of Iran's U.N. delegation were expelled from the United States after U.S. officials say they failed to comply with a State Department order to leave New York. One diplomat reportedly left Friday night and the other on Saturday morning; Iran's foreign minister disputes that the departures were expulsions. The U.S. and Iran offer conflicting accounts amid growing tensions and stalled diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
U.S. Expels Two Iranian UN Diplomats After Alleged Failure To Comply With Departure Order
Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
Two members of Iran's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly were expelled from the United States after, U.S. officials say, they did not comply with a State Department order to leave New York, Axios reported.
The diplomats reportedly remained in New York for several days after U.S. authorities instructed Iran's entire U.N. delegation to depart immediately, a U.S. official told the outlet.
"Secretary [Marco] Rubio means business. Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found still in New York long after the U.N. General Assembly had passed. They have now been kicked out of the country," the official told Axios.
According to the U.S. official, one diplomat departed Friday night and the other left Saturday morning after U.S. authorities reiterated the departure order. The State Department had reportedly notified Iran's U.N. mission earlier in the week that the delegation must leave the United States immediately.
Iran's Response
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disputed the U.S. account on X, saying that the diplomats left according to schedule and accusing U.S. officials of mischaracterizing their departures as expulsions. "All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled," he wrote.
The conflicting accounts come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have stalled and concerns grow over the potential for renewed hostilities.
What We Know
- The action was described to Axios by a U.S. official; Iran denies that the departures were expulsions.
- One diplomat left late Friday and the other on Saturday morning, according to the U.S. official.
- Officials say the move was an enforcement of an order that required Iran's U.N. delegation to depart immediately.
Reporting on this matter relies on statements from U.S. officials and Iran's foreign minister; the two sides offer contrasting explanations of the timeline and nature of the departures.
Source: Axios reporting as cited by Newsmax.
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