WASHINGTON \u2013 Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iran\u2019s foreign minister and his delegation to the U.N. General Assembly to leave New York earlier than they had planned, two U.S. officials said Wednesday. <\/p>\n
The Trump administration had granted visas<\/a>, albeit with severe restrictions, to Iran\u2019s president and foreign minister and their delegations to attend the annual meeting of world leaders despite the hostilities between the two countries. <\/p>\n While President Masoud Pezeshkian left New York a day after speaking at the United Nations<\/a> last week, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had remained behind ostensibly to participate in indirect talks with the U.S.<\/a> on opening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the conflict and resuming negotiations over Iran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n According to some accounts, Araghchi had planned to stay in New York until Wednesday.<\/p>\n After little progress was made in weekend meetings between Iranian and Qatari mediators, Rubio lost patience and told the Iranians on Monday that Araghchi and his delegation had to leave New York immediately, according to the two officials, who were familiar with the decision and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration process.<\/p>\n Rubio, according to one official, determined that the Iranians had \u201coverstayed their welcome\u201d and that since the high-level meetings at the U.N. were over, they should leave.<\/p>\n Ararghchi and his team departed New York very early Tuesday.<\/p>\n The Iranian U.N. delegation on Wednesday denied that they were ordered to leave.<\/p>\n