Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday ordered the Iranian delegation to leave the United States immediately, as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran hit a standstill following the United Nations General Assembly. The State Department confirmed the move to NewsNation on Thursday, according to a report from The Hill's broadcast partner.
The order came after Rubio concluded that the delegation, led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, had "overstayed their welcome," a senior official told The Associated Press. High-level meetings at the UN had concluded, and Rubio saw no further reason for the Iranians to remain in the country.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed New York last week, a day after addressing the General Assembly, but Araghchi stayed behind for indirect talks with US officials. He had planned to remain until Wednesday, according to AP sources.
The Iranian delegation left early Tuesday morning, but Tehran disputed the expulsion narrative. In a statement on X, the delegation insisted its departure had been scheduled in advance and communicated to the State Department on September 17. "Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news," the statement read.
The US-Iran conflict entered its seventh month on Monday, with both sides negotiating through intermediaries. President Trump and President Pezeshkian have expressed interest in a deal, but Trump rejected an Iranian peace proposal that would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz and initiated a ceasefire.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday that negotiators had received an official US response to the proposal, though no details were provided.
Critics of the Iranian regime in Washington accuse Tehran of dragging out negotiations to influence US politics, particularly ahead of the midterm elections. An Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, General Hossein Mohebbi, urged American voters to turn against Trump, saying they could "change the makeup of the government" by applying "criteria for good leadership."
The prolonged conflict has taken a toll on American consumers, with rising prices and soaring fuel costs fueling public discontent. That frustration is pressuring Republican campaigns, with some candidates distancing themselves from the president and calling for an end to the war, including lifting the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, supporters of the administration's hardline stance argue that Iran is deliberately prolonging talks to damage Trump politically. As the standoff continues, the expulsion of the delegation marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions, signaling that Washington is losing patience with Tehran's negotiating tactics.
