The United States has expelled two members of Iran's UN General Assembly delegation after they remained in New York despite Washington's order to leave the country. One diplomat left on Friday night and the other on Saturday morning, Axios reported, citing a US official.
On September 28, the State Department asked the Iranian mission to the UN to immediately expel the entire delegation. Four days later, US authorities notified the mission that they had identified the presence of two diplomats in New York and demanded that they leave immediately.
„Secretary of State Rubio is serious. Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found in New York long after the General Assembly ended. They have already been expelled from the country“, the American representative said, quoted by Axios.Negotiations between Washington and Tehran are blocked
The expulsion took place after the failure of diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between the United States and Iran. On September 28, Qatari mediator Ali al-Thawadi spoke in New York with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and then met with American representatives in Washington.
A proposal to lift the American naval blockade in exchange for concessions from Tehran on the nuclear issue was discussed. According to information cited by RBC and Axios, the positions of the two sides remained significantly different. Washington was not ready to accept Iran's demands and believed it had a stronger position.
In a previous report by Axios, a US official described Marco Rubio's decision as a reaction to the fact that the Iranian delegation remained in the country after the end of the General Assembly. According to him, "the delegation overstayed its stay" and the General Assembly had already ended.
Trump admits new attacks on Iran
Amid the diplomatic stalemate, US President Donald Trump has admitted that US attacks on Iran will resume after the midterm elections for Congress in November. On September 30, he said that "very soon" something will happen regarding Iran.
There is currently no evidence of an agreement between Washington and Tehran. Qatari mediators continue contacts with both sides, but the expulsion of diplomats shows that negotiations remain blocked and tensions between the US and Iran persist.
Sources: Axios