A US official announced that two members of the Iranian delegation that attended United Nations General Assembly meetings had left the United States on Saturday, several days after being asked to leave. The official described what happened as the “expulsion” of the diplomats, who had remained in New York after the General Assembly’s proceedings ended.
US statement on expulsion of two Iranian delegation members
“Secretary Rubio is serious about his decisions; two other members of the Iranian delegation were found to be in New York long after the United Nations General Assembly had ended, and they have now been expelled from the country,”
According to the official, the US State Department asked the Iranian mission to the United Nations last Monday for all members of the Iranian delegation to leave the United States immediately. However, the diplomats did not comply with the request in the following days and remained in New York after the deadline set by the US position had passed.
On Friday, US authorities informed the Iranian mission to the United Nations that they were aware the diplomats were still in New York, despite having been asked to leave. They also reiterated to the mission that the two had to depart immediately. The official said one delegation member left the United States on Friday night, while the other left on Saturday morning.
Move comes amid US-Iran tensions
The move comes amid continued tensions between the United States and Iran. A report detailing the incident described the removal of the two delegation members as the latest indication of strained relations between the two countries, as diplomatic efforts to end the war falter and the prospect of renewed fighting grows.
The details made public were limited to the timeline of the US requests and the dates on which the diplomats left.
