The United States has expelled two members of Iran's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly after they ignored an order to leave the country, according to a US official quoted on Saturday (Oct 3) by Axios and AFP.
The official said the State Department had asked Iran's mission to the UN on Monday to ensure that all members of the delegation left immediately. On Friday, Washington told the mission it knew two members were still in New York, long after the Assembly had ended, and repeated its demand that they go. One of the two left the United States on Friday night and the other on Saturday morning. "They have now been kicked out of the US," the official told AFP, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "means business".
US media reported that the instruction to leave applied to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation. US and Iranian officials had met in New York the previous week on the sidelines of the Assembly. The sources do not say who the two expelled members were or what roles they held. They also do not report any Iranian response, including any demand that Washington reverse the expulsions.
The move comes amid worsening relations between Washington and Tehran. Al Jazeera, citing Axios, described it as the latest sign of rising tension while diplomatic efforts to end the war between the two sides falter and the chances of renewed fighting grow. President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Gulf through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes. He nevertheless told US media he expected talks to resume in the coming days. Iran's state news agency IRNA, however, reported that Tehran has no further direct talks with Washington scheduled.
The episode matters because the United States, as host of the UN headquarters, issues visas to foreign delegations and can require them to leave once their official business is over. Using that power against Iranian officials at a time when negotiations are already stalled adds another point of friction. It also shows how far apart the two governments remain on both diplomacy and the Strait of Hormuz.