Iran rejected reports that its delegation to the UN General Assembly was expelled from the US, saying its departure followed a pre-scheduled itinerary communicated to the US weeks earlier, while a US official told Anadolu on Wednesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the diplomats to leave after negotiations stalled.
The US mission to the UN informed Iran’s mission Monday evening on Rubio’s orders that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s delegation had to leave New York “immediately,” according to the Axios news site, which first reported the story.
Citing a US official, it said that the delegation “had overstayed their welcome,” and “The UN General Assembly was over, so it was time for them to go.”
“The Iranian delegation left New York on Monday evening, in accordance with the schedule that had also been communicated to the US Department of State in advance on September 17,” Iran’s mission to the UN said in a statement.
“Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news,” the mission added, dismissing US claims regarding the exit.
The delegation boarded a flight from New York to Doha at 1.20 am local time (0520GMT) Tuesday, the US official said, according to Axios.
According to the report, the White House expected possible progress in talks with Iran on Monday morning, but by late afternoon it became clear the negotiations had reached a stalemate.
Qatari mediators, meanwhile, are continuing talks with both sides on a compromise proposal, the report cited regional sources as saying.
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for energy supplies.
Efforts to end the conflict have continued since the US and Iran signed a memorandum in June outlining immediate steps to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran’s nuclear program.