US expels two Iranian UN delegates for overstaying New York departure order

The United States has expelled two members of the Iranian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly after they ignored an official order to leave the country.

The two delegates were discovered still present in New York days after they were supposed to have departed. According to US officials, the State Department had originally instructed the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, and his accompanying delegation to leave the US on Monday.

The situation changed on Friday when US authorities learned from the Iranian mission to the UN that two members of the delegation had remained behind. The discovery prompted the State Department to initiate formal expulsion procedures. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered their immediate removal, with a US official telling Agence France-Presse that the newly appointed secretary "means business" when it comes to diplomatic compliance.

Following the US intervention, both officials left the country. One delegate departed late on Friday night, and the second left on Saturday morning, according to reporting by Axios.

Disputed plans for future talks

The diplomatic incident adds fresh friction to an already strained relationship, coming immediately after rare face-to-face contacts between US and Iranian officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Those meetings have yielded little consensus, and both sides are now giving conflicting signals about what happens next. US President Donald Trump recently rejected a specific proposal from Tehran aimed at easing regional trade tensions. The Iranian proposal offered to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil shipments, within seven days.

The strait is one of the most heavily monitored maritime channels in the world, and control over its waters remains a central flashpoint in the standoff between Washington and Tehran. Despite rejecting the deal, Trump told US media outlets that he still expects bilateral discussions with Iran to resume in the coming days.

Tehran, however, has publicly disputed that timeline. Iran's state news agency, IRNA, reported that no further direct negotiations are currently scheduled between the two governments. The conflicting statements reveal the deep divide that remains between Washington and Tehran, even as the US takes a harder line on the physical presence of Iranian officials on American soil.

While the UN General Assembly routinely brings adversarial leaders to New York, the US government closely monitors the visas of visiting delegations, often restricting their travel to a small radius around the UN headquarters. The swift decision to expel the remaining delegates emphasises the cold diplomatic climate, with the State Department showing little willingness to grant leeway to Iranian officials who outstay their welcome.