US Expels Iranian UN Delegation Amid Stalled Diplomatic Efforts and Regional Tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iran's UN delegation to depart the country following a breakdown in indirect negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. While Washington maintained the diplomats had overstayed their welcome following the conclusion of the UN General Assembly, Tehran firmly denied that its officials left ahead of schedule.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation had extended their stay in New York after President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered his UN General Assembly address, utilizing Qatar as a mediator for communications with Washington. The diplomatic standoff unfolded as Iran acknowledged receiving a US response to a seven-day proposal focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting talks, a plan that US President Donald Trump had previously rejected.

According to sources familiar with the situation cited by Axios, Mr Rubio directed the delegation to leave. A US official stated that the Iranian representatives had outstayed their welcome once the UN General Assembly concluded. However, Iran's UN mission countered these claims, stating that the departure occurred on Monday evening strictly according to a pre-arranged schedule communicated in advance to the US State Department on September 17.

Meanwhile, regional security concerns persisted as Mr Araghchi received the US response via Qatari mediators in Doha. The proposal outlines potential steps toward reopening the strategic waterway and returning to negotiations. Previous indirect discussions in New York featured Mr Araghchi alongside US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The seven-month conflict has severely impacted commercial shipping, highlighted by an incident where three Liberian-flagged oil tankers were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz with their transponders deactivated. Addressing these developments, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the shared security challenges facing the region during an address to the Shura Council.

In parallel developments, the US State Department strongly criticized a 26-page open letter addressed to the American public by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The State Department dismissed the document as an attempt to mislead Americans regarding the Iranian regime's actions, pointing to US military strikes that impacted Iran's defense infrastructure, navy, and air force. Concurrently, the IRGC celebrated a reported US withdrawal from Iraq as a major victory for Iran-backed factions, while international mediators in Qatar continue efforts to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran as both sides evaluate the latest proposals.