Iranian UN delegation duo ‘kicked out’ of US: US State Department
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The US State Department had told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave the country on Sept 28.
PHOTO: LEXI PARRA/NYTIMES
- The US expelled two Iranian UN delegation members for staying in New York after the UN General Assembly ended, ignoring orders to leave.
- The expulsions followed a Sept 28 order to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his team to depart.
- Despite recent US-Iran meetings, Tehran has no new direct talks planned with Washington, though the US expects future discussions soon.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – The United States has “kicked out” two members of the Iranian delegation who attended the recent UN General Assembly after they ignored an order to leave the country, the State Department said on Oct 3.
“Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found still in (New York) long after the United Nations General Assembly had passed. They have now been kicked out of the US,” a US official told AFP, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “means business”.
US media said the State Department told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his team to leave the country on Sept 28, and resorted to expelling the two members after learning from the Iranian mission to the UN they were still in the country on Oct 2.
A delegation member left on the night of Oct 2 and the second on Oct 3, in the morning, said Axios.
US and Iranian officials had met the week prior in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
US President Donald Trump had rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but told US media he expected talks to resume in the coming days. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran had no more direct talks scheduled with Washington. AFP