Two members of Iran's delegation to the United Nations were removed from the United States after they stayed in New York well past a deadline to leave, a U.S. official has reportedly said. The official described the pair as having been "kicked out" of the country.
The official told the American publication Axios that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "means business." According to the official, the two Iranians were found in New York long after the UN General Assembly had wrapped up, and they have now been forced out.
"Secretary Rubio means business. Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found still in New York long after the UN General Assembly had passed. They have now been kicked out of the country," they said.
How it unfolded
The trouble began on Monday. The State Department told
's mission to the UN that its whole delegation had to leave the country right away. The two diplomats did not comply, the official said.
On Friday, American officials went back to the mission with a new message. They said Washington knew the two men were still in New York and repeated that they had to go immediately.
That time, the order worked. One of the diplomats left Friday night, and the other followed on Saturday morning, the official said. So the departures came about five days after the first demand.
Another sign of strain
The episode adds to the friction between Washington and Tehran. Talks aimed at ending the war between the two sides are struggling, and the chance of fighting starting up again is growing.