Iran UN delegates expelled from US, State Dept says

The United States expelled two members of Iran's delegation to the recent UN General Assembly after they did not comply with an order to leave the country, the State Department said Saturday.

A US official told AFP that the two delegation members were found still in New York after the General Assembly had passed. Axios reported that one member left Friday night and the second departed Saturday morning.

US media reported that the State Department had told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave the country Monday, and moved to expel the two members after learning from Iran's mission to the UN that they remained in the United States on Friday.

US and Iranian officials had met the previous week in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. US President Donald Trump had rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but told US media he expected talks to resume in the coming days. Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran had no more direct talks scheduled with Washington.