US secretary of state Marco Rubio ordered Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave New York on Monday after negotiations between Washington and Tehran reached a stalemate, Axios reported on Wednesday.The US mission to the United Nations informed Iran’s mission on Monday evening that Araghchi’s delegation had to leave New York immediately, according to the report. The delegation left for the airport several hours later and flew to Doha early Tuesday.“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,” a US official told Axios.
Talks stall, diplomatic tensions rise
The move came as Qatari mediators struggled to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran. According to Axios, the White House had initially believed there could be progress in the talks on Monday, but by late afternoon negotiations had reached a stalemate.The US demand for the Iranian delegation to leave was described as an unusual diplomatic rebuke, highlighting the deep distrust between the two sides amid efforts to reach a deal.A second source confirmed that Washington had asked the Iranian delegation to leave but said Araghchi had already been scheduled to depart New York on Monday night.The Iranian delegation, including Araghchi, eventually boarded a flight from New York to Doha at around 1:20am on Tuesday.
Trump: ‘Time is coming’
Qatari mediators are continuing efforts to find a compromise between the US and Iran, with regional sources saying talks remain ongoing.US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, struck a more forceful tone when asked on Wednesday how Washington could reach a deal with what he described as a “crazy” Iranian regime.“Maybe I will blow ’em up,” Trump told reporters. “Maybe I blow ’em up. 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.”