In a striking development, the Trump administration has deported approximately 100 Iranians from the United States back to their home country. This action follows a secretive agreement between the two governments, as confirmed by both senior Iranian officials involved in the negotiations and a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the plans.
The U.S.-chartered flight departed from Louisiana on Monday night, with an anticipated arrival in Iran via Qatar by Tuesday at the earliest. The American official verified that preparations for this flight were finalized. All officials chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The specific identities of the Iranians on board, along with their motivations for seeking immigration to the United States, remain undisclosed at this time.
This mass deportation represents one of the most assertive actions taken by the Trump administration to repatriate migrants, even to nations with concerning human rights records. The administration’s aggressive deportation campaign has already faced legal challenges from immigrant rights advocates, who have voiced strong criticism against such flights.
For many years, the United States traditionally offered refuge to Iranians fleeing persecution in their homeland. Iran is widely recognized for its severe human rights situation, with systemic oppression targeting women’s rights activists, political dissidents, journalists, lawyers, religious minorities, and the L.G.B.T.Q. community, among others.
Recently, there has been a notable increase in Iranian migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border, often crossing illegally. A significant number of these individuals claim to be seeking asylum due to fears of political or religious persecution in Iran.
Speaking on Tuesday, Hossein Noushabadi, the director general of parliamentary affairs in Iran’s foreign ministry, announced further plans by U.S. immigration authorities to deport a total of 400 Iranians residing in the United States over the coming months. He elaborated to Tasnim News Agency, an outlet associated with Iran’s powerful Republican Guards, that “In the first phase, they decided to deport 120 Iranians who entered the U.S. illegally, mostly through Mexico.” Noushabadi also noted that some of the deportees possessed U.S. residency, and all had initially left Iran through legal channels.
Historically, the United States has faced difficulties or reluctance in deporting individuals to certain countries, including Iran, largely due to a lack of formal diplomatic relations and challenges in obtaining timely travel documents. This often resulted in migrants being held in detention for extended periods or being released into the U.S. interior. However, 2024 saw a significant increase, with over two dozen Iranians deported, marking the highest number in years.
The Iranian officials further revealed that the recent group of deportees included both men and women, some traveling as couples. While some had voluntarily agreed to leave after spending months in detention centers, others had not. These officials clarified that in almost all cases, asylum requests had been denied or were still awaiting a judicial hearing.
This deportation marks a rare instance of direct cooperation between the United States and the Iranian government, representing the culmination of several months of bilateral discussions, as stated by the Iranian officials.
One official indicated that Iran’s foreign ministry is overseeing the return process, offering assurances that the deportees would be safe and free from problems upon arrival. Despite these guarantees, many individuals expressed feelings of disappointment and even fear. “Iran will certainly welcome migrants who, for any reason, had previously emigrated to the United States,” Mr. Noushabadi reiterated to Tasnim.
Beyond political oppression, Iran is grappling with a severe economic and energy crisis, characterized by a depreciating currency, rampant inflation, high unemployment, and widespread shortages of water and power. The economic outlook is expected to worsen with the recent re-imposition of United Nations Security Council sanctions, which took effect on Saturday.