'Oozes desperation and defeat': Araghchi rejects reports of two Iranian diplomat 'kicked out' of US

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected reports that two Iranian diplomats were expelled from the US after the UN General Assembly, saying Tehran’s delegation members left the country as scheduled.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has dismissed reports that two Iranian diplomats were "kicked out" of the United States following the UN General Assembly, asserting that members of Tehran’s delegation departed the country as scheduled.

In a post on X on Sunday, Araghchi rejected the reported “expulsion” as fake and criticised those celebrating the development, accusing them of displaying “desperation and defeat”.  

“All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled,” Araghchi said.

Araghchi was responding to an Axios report claiming that two members of Iran’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York had been “kicked out” of the United States for allegedly failing to comply with a US State Department directive to leave the country.

Sharing a screenshot of the report on X, Araghchi objected to the description of the diplomats’ departure and criticised what he called an inappropriate portrayal of the incident.

“Taking pride in fake diplomat "expulsion" is inappropriate for the head of any diplomatic corps. It oozes of desperation and defeat and is inconsistent with UN host nation obligations,” the Iranian foreign minister further said.

Axios reported that the US State Department had previously instructed Iran’s mission to the UN to ensure that all members of its delegation left the United States immediately after the conclusion of the General Assembly sessions.

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Its report said that two members of the Iranian delegation stayed back in New York despite the directive. According to the report, Iran’s UN mission was informed on Friday that US authorities were aware of the diplomats’ continued presence in the city, and Washington reiterated its instruction for them to leave the country immediately.  

“Secretary Rubio means business. Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found still in New York long after the United Nations General Assembly had passed. They have now been kicked out of the country,” a US official told Axios.

The report further stated that one of the two Iranian diplomats left New York on Friday night, while the other departed the city on Saturday morning.

US and Iranian officials had held talks in New York the previous week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. US President Donald Trump has turned down a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while indicating that he expects negotiations between the two countries to resume in the coming days.

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