Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iran’s foreign minister and his delegation to leave New York following the United Nations General Assembly after U.S. officials concluded the group had “overstayed their welcome,” according to U.S. officials.
The unusual diplomatic rebuke came after indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran failed to produce a breakthrough on ending the ongoing conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and potentially restarting negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran disputes the U.S. account, insisting its delegation was not expelled and left according to a previously established schedule. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi remained in New York after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed following his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly. Araghchi stayed behind as Qatar attempted to mediate between the United States and Iran.
????? Washington just showed Iran's foreign minister the door: Rubio ordered the delegation out of New York after talks stalled
The US mission told Iran's team Monday evening that Abbas Araghchi and his delegation had to leave immediately, and they boarded a 1:20 a.m. flight to… pic.twitter.com/OB8f580bmY
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 1, 2026
The Trump administration had granted visas to Pezeshkian, Araghchi and members of their delegations despite the continuing hostilities between Washington and Tehran. The visas came with significant restrictions on where Iranian officials could travel while in New York.
The State Department said before the General Assembly that allowing Iran’s core delegation to attend was consistent with America’s obligations as host country for the United Nations.
By Monday, however, U.S. officials had grown frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations.
Qatari mediators had been shuttling proposals between the two sides, but neither Washington nor Tehran appeared willing to make the concessions necessary for an agreement.
Rubio subsequently instructed the U.S. mission to the United Nations to tell Iran’s mission that Araghchi and his delegation needed to leave New York immediately.
“Secretary Rubio kicked out the Iranian delegation who had overstayed their welcome,” a U.S. official told Axios, which first reported the decision. “The UN General Assembly was over, so it was time for them to go.”
Araghchi and his delegation departed New York early Tuesday, flying to Doha.
The Associated Press reported that some accounts indicated Araghchi had originally planned to remain in New York until Wednesday, although another source told Axios he had already been scheduled to leave Monday night.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations strongly challenged the administration’s characterization of events.
“The Iranian delegation left New York on Monday evening, in accordance with the schedule that had also been communicated to the U.S. Department of State in advance on September 17,” the mission said. Iran accused the State Department of spreading “baseless and worthless news” about the circumstances surrounding the delegation’s departure.
The competing accounts emerged amid intense diplomatic maneuvering over the conflict between the United States and Iran. U.S. and Iranian officials have been communicating indirectly through mediators in an attempt to establish terms for ending hostilities that began earlier this year.
The Strait of Hormuz has been one of the central issues. Iran’s actions restricting passage through the strategically critical waterway have disrupted global energy markets and become a major point of contention in negotiations. Tehran presented a proposal during the General Assembly that included provisions addressing the conflict, sanctions, frozen Iranian assets and reopening the strait.
In return, Iran offered to resume negotiations over its nuclear program, including uranium enrichment. Trump publicly rejected Iran’s initial proposal but indicated that Washington remained willing to continue negotiating.
Separate U.S.-Iran contacts continued through Qatar and other mediators. Araghchi’s extended presence in New York had raised hopes that the General Assembly could provide an opportunity for a diplomatic breakthrough. Those expectations did not materialize. By Monday afternoon, the White House concluded that the negotiations had reached a stalemate, according to Axios.
