Claims from both countries diverge over Iranian diplomat's stay in U.S.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hwa-seop = There are conflicting claims from both countries regarding the schedule of Iranian diplomats' trip to the United States, a war partner, to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.

U.S. State Department officials claimed that some of these Iranian diplomats were "kicked out" after staying for several days despite being asked to leave, but Iran refuted that they left the country according to the schedule notified in advance.

According to Axios, an American political media outlet, on the 3rd (local time), an anonymous US government official said, "It turns out that two members of the Iranian delegation were still in New York long after the UN General Assembly closed. They have now been kicked out of the United States."

This official also said, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s position (on this issue) is firm.”

AFP also reported on the same day that a State Department official said the Iranian delegation was "kicked out."

According to Axios, the U.S. government notified Iran's mission to the United Nations on the 2nd of this month that it was aware that two Iranian diplomats were remaining in New York despite requests to leave the country and that they must leave immediately.

A U.S. government official then explained that two Iranian diplomats left the country on the night of the 2nd and the morning of the 3rd, respectively.

This response claims that the Iranian delegation stayed for several days even after the UN General Assembly held in New York last month closed on the 28th, and that they were eventually forced to leave the country after resisting the United States' request to leave.

Previously, on the 30th of last month, Axios reported that Secretary Rubio requested the Iranian delegation, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to leave the country immediately on the 28th of last month, and a few hours later, members of the Iranian delegation headed to the airport and left New York on a flight from New York to Doha at around 1:20 a.m. on the 29th.

Axios reported at the time that the U.S. government expected progress in negotiations between the two countries when a delegation including President Massoud Fezezhikian and Minister Aragchi came to the U.S. to attend the United Nations General Assembly, but when no progress was made, it asked the Iranian delegation to leave the country.

However, in response to Axios' September 30 report, Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations refuted the claim that the Iranian delegation's departure was at Secretary Rubio's request, saying it was a groundless misinformation and that it was "according to the schedule already notified to the U.S. State Department on September 17."

U.S. and Iranian officials met for about three hours in New York on September 22 during the United Nations General Assembly.

Then, U.S. President Donald Trump announced to the U.S. media on September 26 that he had rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was mediated by Qatar, and that he expected talks to resume within a few days.

Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that there are no further direct talks scheduled between Iran and the United States.