U.S. Orders Iranian U.N. Delegation to Leave as Peace Talks Stall

NEW YORK — The United States ordered Iran’s United Nations delegation to leave the country after indirect talks aimed at ending months of conflict stalled, according to a U.S. official and a second person familiar with the matter, underscoring the depth of distrust between Washington and Tehran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed the move on Monday evening, after White House officials concluded that a day of mediation had produced no breakthrough. The U.S. mission to the United Nations informed Iran’s mission that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation had to depart New York immediately, the U.S. official said.

Araghchi’s group left for the airport several hours later and boarded a flight to Doha at 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, according to the account. A second source confirmed the U.S. demand but said Araghchi had been scheduled to return to Tehran that night in any case. U.S. officials framed the order as a response to the delegation remaining after the U.N. General Assembly had ended.

“Secretary Rubio kicked out the Iranian delegation who had overstayed their welcome. The UN General Assembly was over, so it was time for them to go,” the U.S. official said.

Qatari mediators had tried to bridge gaps between the sides last week, with little progress reported. Iran has sought steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and a return to nuclear talks. Washington has pressed Tehran over its nuclear program and the broader war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year.

Iran said it received Washington’s formal reply to its proposal through mediators in Doha on Wednesday. President Donald Trump had previously called Tehran’s terms unacceptable. Asked how he could reach a deal with a government he has described as irrational, Trump told reporters at an Oval Office briefing that a decision was coming soon.

“Maybe I will blow ’em up,” Trump said. “We have to make that decision. We will blow ’em up or make a deal. But the time is coming. It’s gonna end very soon one way or the other.”

The diplomatic rupture comes amid heightened regional tension. A U.S.-led coalition also marked the end of its long-running anti-Islamic State mission in Iraq this week, a withdrawal celebrated by Iraqi leaders and by Trump, even as analysts warn that Iran-aligned factions inside Iraq remain heavily armed.

Qatar continues to shuttle messages between Washington and Tehran. Regional sources say mediators are still discussing compromise language, but neither capital has signaled a readiness to concede on core demands. For now, the expulsion of Iran’s U.N. team stands as an unusual public rebuke and a sign that a negotiated end to the conflict remains distant.