Washington/New York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly instructed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave New York earlier than planned after indirect talks between Washington and Tehran failed to make significant progress.
According to two US officials cited by the Associated Press, the decision came after weekend discussions involving Iranian and Qatari mediators produced little progress on issues including the Strait of Hormuz, the ongoing conflict and Iran’s nuclear programme. One US official told Axios that the delegation had “overstayed their welcome” after the UN General Assembly meetings had concluded.
Araghchi and his team reportedly departed New York early Tuesday and travelled to Doha. The development came as diplomatic efforts continued through Qatari mediation, with the two sides still facing significant differences over the terms and sequencing of a possible agreement.
However, Iran has denied that its delegation was expelled or ordered out of the United States. Iran’s UN mission said the delegation’s departure had already been scheduled and that the itinerary had been communicated to the US State Department on September 17.
The conflicting accounts leave the circumstances of the departure disputed. While US officials described Rubio’s intervention as a response to stalled negotiations, the Iranian side maintains that the delegation simply followed its previously communicated travel schedule.
The episode comes amid continued diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran, with Qatar and other intermediaries seeking to keep negotiations alive despite the lack of a breakthrough.
