US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered Iran’s UN delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to leave the United States after high-stakes diplomacy in New York broke down, a US official told Anadolu on Wednesday.
According to Axios, which first reported the move, the US mission to the UN told Iran’s mission late Monday that Araghchi’s team must depart “immediately.” One US official said the group had “overstayed their welcome,” noting the General Assembly session had ended. The delegation flew from New York to Doha early Tuesday, though another source said Araghchi was already due to return to Tehran that night.
The order came as talks stalled. Washington had hoped for progress Monday morning, but by afternoon negotiations appeared deadlocked. Qatari mediators are now working on a compromise, regional sources told reporters.
In a parallel development, Iran said Wednesday it had received a US response to its latest plan to revive a collapsed Gulf ceasefire, days after President Donald Trump said he rejected the offer. The proposal would have seen Washington lift its blockade on Iranian ports in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz within a week.
Tehran’s allies celebrated as the last US forces pulled out of Iraq, where more than 4,500 American troops and over 200,000 Iraqi civilians died after the 2003 invasion. Iran called the withdrawal a victory for its “axis of resistance” and a step toward pushing US power from the region.
Although Trump said Sunday he had turned down Iran’s plan, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said no formal rejection reached Tehran. An Iranian spokesperson later said Araqchi conveyed Washington’s answer to the government after a stop in Doha.
An official familiar with the talks told Reuters that Qatar briefed Araqchi on Tuesday. The sides mostly agree on what must be done but disagree on the sequence. Iran ultimately wants a deal giving it control over the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s key oil route.
Shipping has picked up in recent weeks, with higher fees for vessels risking attack. Yet crude, refined fuels and gas flows remain heavily disrupted. On Wednesday, Britain’s UKMTO reported two ships hit by projectiles a day earlier.
