US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week ordered the Iranian delegation to the UN General Assembly to leave the United States, after negotiations between Washington and Tehran had stalled, Axios reports.
According to the report, which cites a US official and a second source briefed on the matter, the decision was made on Monday and included Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was in New York for the General Assembly.
A US official told Axios that the Iranian delegation had “exceeded their permitted stay” after the General Assembly ended, and that it was therefore time for the delegation to leave the country.
The Axios report described the decision as an unusual diplomatic rebuke, at a time when mediators were trying to bring the US and Iran closer together through indirect negotiations. The talks, in which Qatar has played the role of mediator, have so far failed to produce an agreement.
According to the version reported by Axios, on Monday morning the White House was hopeful of a breakthrough in the negotiations. However, by the afternoon it became clear that the talks had stalled. The US mission to the UN then communicated to the Iranian mission that Araghchi's delegation should leave New York immediately.
Axios reports that the Iranian delegation left for the airport a few hours later and Araghchi traveled to Doha on a flight that departed at 1:20 a.m. Tuesday.
However, the Iranian side has disputed the American version. The Iranian mission to the UN has stated that the delegation's departure was planned in advance and that the trip had been communicated to the US State Department.
The development comes at a tense moment between Washington and Tehran, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and reach an agreement continue through mediators.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has maintained a tough stance on Iran and has left open the possibility of launching further attacks if a deal is not reached.
Axios' reporting comes after several days of indirect negotiations, during which the US and Iran discussed issues related to the Iranian nuclear program, US sanctions, the naval blockade and the Strait of Hormuz.
