After Negotiations Stalled.. Rubio Demanded the Iranian Delegation Leave America

Washington - Afaq News - Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded that the Iranian delegation participating in the United Nations General Assembly leave the country immediately following the stalled negotiations, according to an American official and another source familiar with the matter.

Axios reported an American official saying: "Secretary Rubio expelled the Iranian delegation that exceeded the allowed duration of their stay; the United Nations General Assembly has concluded, and it was time for them to leave."

According to Axios, there was a belief in the White House on Monday morning that progress could be made in talks with Iran later that day, but by late afternoon, it became clear that the negotiations had reached an impasse.

On Monday evening, based on Rubio's orders, the U.S. mission to the United Nations informed their Iranian counterparts that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's delegation needed to leave New York immediately, according to the American official.

The Iranian delegation - including Araghchi - left for the airport after a few hours and boarded a flight from New York to Doha at 1:20 AM on Tuesday.

Axios reported from another source that the United States demanded the departure of the Iranian delegation, but noted that Araqchi was scheduled to return to Tehran on Monday night in any case.

Although the Iranian delegation was set to leave soon anyway, Rubio's move represented a rather unusual diplomatic rebuke and revealed the depth of mistrust between the two countries amid efforts that have not yielded results to end the war.