In a significant development, the Trump administration has commenced the deportation of approximately 100 Iranian citizens from the United States back to Iran. This information comes from both senior Iranian officials engaged in the negotiations and a U.S. official familiar with the operation.
The U.S.-chartered flight departed from Louisiana on Monday evening, with an expected arrival in Iran via Qatar by Tuesday. Sources confirm that the arrangements for this flight were finalized swiftly. Due to the sensitive nature of the operation, all officials involved requested anonymity.
This mass deportation marks one of the most aggressive actions taken by the Trump administration to remove migrants, irrespective of the human rights conditions in their destination countries. Earlier this year, the U.S. also deported other Iranian groups, including Christian converts who face severe persecution in Iran, to Costa Rica and Panama. This increasingly broad deportation campaign has drawn sharp criticism and prompted lawsuits from immigrant advocacy groups.
Historically, the United States has offered refuge to Iranians escaping their homeland, which is notorious for one of the world’s most severe human rights records. Iran actively persecutes a wide range of individuals, including women’s rights activists, political dissidents, journalists, lawyers, religious minorities, and members of the L.G.B.T.Q. community.
The specific identities of the deported Iranians and their motivations for seeking entry into the U.S. remain unclear. Recent years have seen a rise in Iranian migrants attempting to cross the southern U.S. border illegally, with many asserting a well-founded fear of persecution in Iran due to their political or religious convictions.
Previously, the U.S. encountered significant obstacles in deporting migrants to countries like Iran, primarily due to strained diplomatic relations and difficulties in obtaining necessary travel documents promptly. This often resulted in prolonged detention periods for migrants or their release into the U.S. In 2024, the U.S. deported just over two dozen Iranians, a multi-year high, through various commercial flights.
According to Iranian officials, the group of deportees is diverse, comprising men, women, and even couples. Some individuals reportedly volunteered for deportation after lengthy stays in detention centers, while others did not. Officials noted that in almost all cases, asylum requests had either been denied or had not yet progressed to a judicial hearing.
This deportation represents an unusual instance of cooperation between the United States and the Iranian government, the result of discussions that spanned several months, as confirmed by Iranian officials.
Iran’s foreign ministry is reportedly overseeing the return of the deportees, offering assurances of their safety and promising no repercussions. Despite these pledges, many of the returning individuals expressed disappointment and even fear about their future.
Beyond political oppression, Iran is currently grappling with a severe economic and energy crisis, marked by a plummeting currency, rampant inflation, high unemployment, and widespread shortages of water and power. The economic outlook is expected to deteriorate further with the recent reinstatement of United Nations Security Council sanctions.
This remains a developing story.