Russia’s ambassador to the United States said Washington had asked 24 Russian diplomats to leave the country by September 3 after their visas expire, heightening tensions between the two countries, writes Reuters.

In an interview with the National Interest magazine, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov did not say whether the U.S. action was prompted by a particular dispute. He said nearly all would be leaving without replacements “because Washington has abruptly tightened visa issuing procedures”.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price, responding to the comments, said that Washington was not using Russian diplomats’ visas to retaliate against Moscow. He said the ambassador’s characterization was “not accurate”.