US 'kicks out' Iran's UN delegation as peace talks stall

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expelled Iran's UN delegation from the United States due to their prolonged presence after the end of the General Assembly, according to reports. Iran denied their diplomats had departed early. The delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his team, remained in New York following President Masoud Pezeshkian's speech at the UN General Assembly, with Qatar serving as mediators between Washington and Tehran.

Iran claimed they had received a response from Washington regarding a seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations, following US President Donald Trump's rejection of an earlier version of the plan. The US official quoted by Axios stated, "Secretary Rubio kicked out the Iranian delegation who had overstayed their welcome.

The UN General Assembly was over, so it was time for them to go." Tehran asserted the delegation had left as per a pre-arranged schedule communicated to the US State Department. Despite achieving no progress, the State Department dismissed the allegations as baseless. Araghchi received Washington's response via Qatari intermediaries in Doha on Wednesday.

The proposal suggested potential steps towards reopening the strait and reestablishing negotiations, contingent on met conditions. The Iranian Foreign Minister reiterated the possibility of strait reopening if conditions were met. The ongoing seven-month war has hindered commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with three Liberian-flagged oil tankers struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the strait on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that Gulf states faced a shared security threat following the attacks, stressing the indivisibility of Gulf security and stability. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) criticized the US exit from Iraq in a letter addressed to the American public, alleging that Iran's regime posed a threat to global peace and prosperity.