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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the Iranian delegation to the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA), including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to leave New York immediately after indirect talks stalled, U.S. officials said.
Iran denied it was ordered out.
"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 U.S. official told Axios, which first reported the move.
The rebuke laid bare deep distrust between the two sides after Qatari mediators failed to secure a breakthrough on ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. mission to the U.N. told Iran's mission on Monday evening, on Rubio's orders, that Araghchi's delegation had to leave New York immediately, the official said.
The delegation boarded a flight to Doha at 1:20 a.m. Tuesday.
The White House had expected possible progress in talks on Monday morning, but by late afternoon it became clear negotiations had reached a stalemate.
A second source said Araghchi had already been scheduled to fly back to Tehran on Monday night. Some accounts said he had planned to stay until Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Iran's U.N. delegation denied it was ordered to leave.
"The Iranian delegation left New York on Monday evening, in accordance with the schedule that had also been communicated to the U.S. Department of State in advance on September 17," it said on X.
"Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news," the statement added.
Washington had granted visas with severe restrictions to Iran's president and foreign minister to attend the U.N. meeting. President Masoud Pezeshkian left New York a day after addressing the assembly.
Asked how he can reach a deal with Iran's government, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters: "Maybe I will blow 'em up. 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."
Qatari mediators are continuing to discuss a compromise proposal with both sides, regional sources told Axios, despite the Iranian delegation's departure.
The U.S. and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran in February, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defenses, prompting Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. bases across the region.
The conflict has since expanded across the region, with diplomatic efforts continuing to end the hostilities.
The ongoing war with Iran, now in its seventh month, has claimed the lives of 18 U.S. service members and triggered sustained volatility across global energy routes.
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