The State Department intervened to cancel a planned meeting between a senior official in New York City Mayor Eric Adams' administration and Iran's ambassador to the United Nations.
Commissioner Ana María Archila, who leads the city's Office of International Affairs, was scheduled to meet with Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran's permanent representative to the UN. A U.S. official familiar with the matter confirmed the meeting had been scheduled, according to a report by City Journal.
Once the State Department became aware of the planned session, it was called off. State Department officials subsequently met with representatives from Adams' administration to clarify acceptable conduct, a State Department official told City Journal. The Iranian mission declined to comment on the meeting, and the mayor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Office of International Affairs typically coordinates closely with the State Department on diplomatic matters, given New York City's role as the host of the United Nations. This marks the second known instance in recent weeks where the State Department has stepped in regarding the Adams administration's engagements with foreign officials.
In June, a planned meeting between Mayor Adams and Colombian President Gustavo Petro was reportedly canceled following objections from the State Department. Fox News Digital has asked the State Department to confirm this account.
Archila previously served as the co-director of New York's Working Families Party before her appointment as commissioner. In 2018, she gained public attention for confronting then-Senator Jeff Flake outside an elevator, identifying herself as a sexual assault survivor and questioning his vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh amid allegations from Christine Blasey Ford. Kavanaugh denied the allegations.
The reports of the canceled meeting come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated he is a primary target of Iran, and intelligence shared by Israel with the U.S. reportedly indicated an Iranian plot to assassinate him. Trump has also claimed that a ceasefire related to Iran is "over" following Iranian attacks that triggered a significant U.S. response.