Two Iranian diplomats expelled from U.S. after refusing order to leave, Axios reports

Two members of Iran’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly were expelled from the United States after failing to comply with a State Department order to leave the country, according to Axios, citing a U.S. official.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had ordered Iran’s UN delegation to leave the United States earlier in the week after diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran stalled.

According to the U.S. official, the State Department learned on Friday that two Iranian diplomats were still in New York despite the earlier demand. Iran’s mission was again told that they needed to depart immediately.

One of the diplomats left the United States on Friday night, while the second departed Saturday morning, the official said.

Iran has previously disputed the broader U.S. account that its delegation was expelled, saying its departure had been scheduled in advance.

The episode comes amid sharply strained U.S.-Iran relations and stalled efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement.