TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday rejected a U.S. claim that two Iranian diplomats were “expelled” from the United States, saying all members of the country’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly left as scheduled and that Washington’s assertion “oozes of desperation and defeat.”
“All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled,” Araghchi said in a post on X. 
He said taking pride in the “fake diplomat ‘expulsion’” is inappropriate for the head of any diplomatic corps and is inconsistent with the United States’ obligations as the UN host nation.
The dispute erupted after Axios cited an unnamed U.S. official on Saturday claiming that two members of Iran’s delegation were “kicked out” of the country earlier in the day, several days after they were asked to leave. 
“Secretary Rubio means business. Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found still in New York long after the UN General Assembly had passed. They have now been kicked out of the country,” the official claimed.
Iran’s Mission to the UN dismissed the claim, stating that the delegation’s departure followed a pre-scheduled itinerary that had been communicated to the U.S. Department of State in advance on September 17. 
“Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news,” the mission said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei echoed that assessment on Sunday, stating that
 the U.S. claim is “a lie” and that Washington’s resort to “absurd fabrication” after failing to prevent Iran’s participation at the UN and to implement its plan to isolate Tehran showed the United States “lacks propriety”.
The diplomatic confrontation unfolded against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s address to the General Assembly on September 22, in which he threatened unashamedly to “annihilate the Islamic Republic” if no deal was reached to end the war. 
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild... Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” Trump said from the UN podium.
The Iranian delegation walked out within ten minutes of Trump’s speech. President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi were in New York for the annual meeting but did not attend.
Despite the public exchange, Araghchi remained in New York after the scheduled departure date, where he spoke with media, held extensive discussions with members of the think tank community, and met with officials from various countries and UN officials, as well as mediators seeking to restart Tehran-Washington talks. 
The terrorist war, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has entered its eighth month.