Iran · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
U.S. Expels Two Iranian UN Delegation Members From New York After Order To Leave
U.S. expelled two Iranian UN delegates who remained in New York after departure order. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said all diplomats left as scheduled except one who departed earlier.
Whether US expelled diplomats or they left as scheduled.
6 of 8 outlets skipped it: a diplomat left Friday night and another departed Saturday morning.
Tehran Times was read line by line by the Watchdog: 0.5. See the score →
13outlets compared
Same story, two versions
tap a side to read it in full
Tehran Times
“All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled”Read the original ↗
Times of Israel and Khaama frame the event as US “kicking out” or removal. Tehran Times, ISNA, and Türkiye Today stress diplomats left as scheduled.
Rubio expulsion dispute
The United States expelled two members of Iran's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York after they remained in the country despite a State Department order to leave, a U.S. official said.
The U.S. official said, "Secretary Rubio is serious. It was detected that two other members of the Iranian delegation remained in New York long after the UN General Assembly had concluded. They have now been expelled from the country," while Iranian officials rejected that characterization.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the claim in a social media post, saying, "All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled," and he added that taking pride in a fake "expulsion" was inappropriate.
The dispute centered on whether the two diplomats were removed after the UNGA session ended, with U.S. accounts describing an expulsion and Iranian accounts describing departures "as scheduled" or according to a travel plan communicated in advance.
Timeline and departures
The U.S. official said the State Department conveyed a demand on Monday ordering Iran's entire UN delegation to leave the country immediately, and the official said the two diplomats disobeyed that demand. The U.S. official said one diplomat left Friday night and the second left Saturday morning, after the State Department reiterated the need for both to leave immediately.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected the U.S. account during a weekly press conference, calling it an attempt "to manufacture an achievement through lies," and he said the travel plans, including departure from New York, had been communicated in advance. Baghaei said, "Because of the pressure they exerted, yes, that diplomat left New York," while he maintained that "in all other respects, we left New York according to the plans that had been made in advance."
Diplomatic stakes and context
The expulsion dispute unfolded as the sources described diplomatic efforts to end the war faltering and the possibility of renewed fighting growing, with the U.S. action framed as a sign of tension. A U.S. official told AFP that the two diplomats were found still in New York well after the UN General Assembly session had ended, and the official said, "They have now been kicked out of the U.S.," describing the move as evidence that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "means business."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the alleged expulsion was inconsistent with UN host nation obligations, writing, "It oozes of desperation and defeat, and is inconsistent with UN host nation obligations," and he said pride in the false news was unbecoming. The dispute also appeared alongside reports that the U.S. and Iran were still contending over talks involving the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program, with the sources describing negotiations that had reached a stalemate and mediators continuing efforts with limited progress.