Iranian UN delegation duo ‘kicked out’ of US

The United States has expelled two members of the Iranian delegation who attended the recent UN General Assembly after they disregarded an order to leave the country, according to the State Department. Two additional Iranian delegates remained in New York after the UN General Assembly concluded and have also been removed from the United States, an American official disclosed to AFP. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is determined to enforce the policy, according to the official.

The State Department informed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave the country on Monday, and subsequently expelled the two members when they were discovered still present in the United States on Friday, as reported by Axios. One delegation member left on Friday night, while the second departed on Saturday morning, according to the source.

US and Iranian officials had convened the previous week in New York, outside of the UN General Assembly, to discuss matters. President Donald Trump had previously declined a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, yet he indicated in a recent statement to US media that the two nations anticipated resuming discussions in the days ahead. Tehran's official news agency, IRNA, stated that there were no further direct talks scheduled between the two countries in Washington.