The Trump administration expelled two Iranian diplomats from the United States over the weekend after they allegedly ignored a State Department order to leave New York following the United Nations General Assembly.
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A U.S. official confirmed Saturday that the two members of Iran’s delegation had departed after Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded their removal earlier in the week.
“Secretary Rubio means business. Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found still in New York long after the UN General Assembly had passed. They have now been kicked out of the country,” the official said.
According to the official, the State Department instructed Iran’s entire delegation Monday to leave the country immediately. However, two diplomats reportedly remained in New York despite the directive.
The administration contacted Iran’s U.N. mission again Friday, informing officials that Washington was aware of the diplomats’ continued presence and reiterating its demand that they depart.
One diplomat subsequently left Friday night, while the second departed Saturday morning.
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The move underscores the Trump administration’s increasingly firm posture toward Tehran as diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war falter and concerns grow over the possibility of renewed military confrontation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi challenged Washington’s account Sunday, rejecting claims that the diplomats had been expelled.
“All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled,” Araghchi wrote on X.
He accused Rubio of celebrating a fabricated diplomatic victory, calling the administration’s characterization inappropriate and inconsistent with America’s obligations as host nation of the United Nations.
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