New York: The United States says Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave New York earlier than planned after weekend diplomatic discussions made little progress. Iran, however, has rejected the claim that the delegation was ordered to leave and said its departure had already been scheduled.
The disagreement came after several days of diplomatic activity around the United Nations General Assembly, where Iran and the United States were involved in indirect discussions on the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz and the possibility of resuming negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
According to US officials, Rubio instructed the Iranian delegation to leave New York after discussions involving Iranian and Qatari mediators produced little progress. The US account has not been accepted by Iran.
Iran's mission to the United Nations said the delegation left New York according to a departure schedule that had been communicated to the US State Department on September 17. Iran therefore disputes the suggestion that Rubio's decision forced the delegation to leave.
The departure itself is not in dispute. Araghchi and members of the Iranian delegation left New York after the main UN General Assembly meetings. What remains disputed is whether their departure was an early order from Washington or a previously arranged departure.
The development followed a diplomatic opening during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. On September 17, the United States said Iran's core delegation would be allowed to attend the high level meetings in New York. The delegation included President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi.
Pezeshkian later left New York after addressing the General Assembly, while Araghchi remained to take part in further diplomatic contacts.
The discussions covered the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict, US measures against Iran and the possibility of renewed negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
The Strait of Hormuz became one of the central issues in the discussions because of its importance to international shipping and energy supplies.
On September 25, Araghchi presented what Iran described as a seven day plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Under the proposal, Iran said it could reopen the Strait within seven days if the United States met conditions including lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, easing sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observing a regional ceasefire.
Iran has linked the reopening of the Strait to the lifting of the US blockade and sanctions, as well as a ceasefire and renewed negotiations over its nuclear programme. These are Iranian conditions and have not resulted in a publicly announced agreement with Washington.
Araghchi also held diplomatic meetings in New York during the final days of the General Assembly. UN Secretary General AntĂłnio Guterres met the Iranian foreign minister on September 28.
The UN high level week ended on September 28, bringing the main General Assembly meetings to a close.
The departure of the Iranian delegation has not ended diplomatic efforts between the two sides. Iran has since received an official US response to its latest proposal, although the contents of the response have not been made public.
Iranian officials said Araghchi presented the US response to President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Iranian Cabinet after returning from New York. Qatar and Pakistan have also continued to play roles in efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran.
The current situation remains uncertain. The New York discussions did not produce a publicly announced agreement on the main issues separating the United States and Iran. At the same time, the exchange of proposals and responses shows that diplomatic contacts have continued beyond the UN General Assembly.
The dispute over Araghchi's departure highlights the difficult political environment surrounding the talks. Washington says the Iranian delegation was asked to leave after negotiations made little progress, while Tehran says the departure had already been arranged.
The details of the US response to Iran's latest proposal remain unclear. It is also not known whether the continuing mediation efforts will lead to a new round of direct or indirect negotiations.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the central issues in the diplomatic discussions, while wider questions surrounding the conflict and Iran's nuclear programme remain unresolved.