United States Expels Two Iranian Diplomats After They Ignored Request to Leave the Country

Al-Taj News – A US official said, in comments carried by Axios, that US authorities expelled two members of the Iranian delegation who attended the United Nations General Assembly sessions in New York after they failed to comply with Washington’s request to leave the country.

According to the US official, the State Department sent a request on Monday to the Iranian mission to the United Nations requiring all members of the delegation to leave immediately, but the two diplomats did not comply with the request.

The US State Department had informed the Iranian mission on Friday that Washington was aware that the two members remained in New York long after the General Assembly sessions had ended, and renewed its demand that they leave immediately, according to the official.

The same source confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “is serious about the matter and knows what he is saying” regarding the expulsion of the two members, who were found to still be in New York after the meetings ended.

The official explained that one of the diplomats left the United States on Friday evening, while the other left on Saturday morning.

The measure is the latest indication of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, at a time when diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war are stalling and the prospects of renewed fighting between the two sides are increasing.