US Expels Iranian Diplomats After UN General Assembly

The United States Department of State expelled two members of an Iranian delegation who remained in New York after the conclusion of the United Nations General Assembly. The State Department had ordered Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his entire mission to leave the country on Monday, but discovered two diplomats were still present on Friday. One individual departed Friday night and the second left Saturday morning.

U.S. officials stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "means business" regarding the enforcement of the departure order. The expulsions occur as diplomatic efforts to prevent renewed combat in the West Asia crisis continue to falter.

The incident follows meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials on the sidelines of the assembly. During these discussions, President Donald Trump rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. While Trump stated he expects talks to resume in the coming days, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran has no further direct talks scheduled with Washington.