Saturday, March 29, 2025
TEHRAN, IRAN — A substantial group of Iranian citizens, numbering approximately 120 individuals, are being flown back to Tehran this week as part of the Trump administration’s escalated immigration enforcement policy. This large-scale removal represents a rare and notable instance of operational cooperation between the United States and Iran, nations that share a deeply strained diplomatic relationship.
According to Hossein Noushabadi, an official within Iran’s foreign ministry consular affairs, the 120 deportations are scheduled to be completed within a couple of days. Noushabadi also indicated that the US immigration apparatus intends to deport a total of around 400 Iranian nationals currently residing in the United States, many of whom entered the country without authorization.
Reports indicate a US-chartered aircraft departed from Louisiana on Monday, with a planned itinerary that routes the flight through Qatar before reaching Iran on Tuesday.
This expulsion, which followed several months of complex bilateral negotiations, supports President Donald Trump’s stated goal of achieving record-high deportation figures. The White House has characterized this surge in removals as a necessary response to the significant number of unauthorized border crossings that occurred during the preceding Democratic administration.
Details surrounding the individuals remain limited, though reports suggest their motivations for seeking entry to the US are not immediately known. Some of the deportees were reportedly held in detention facilities for months, with an unknown number voluntarily agreeing to leave. Crucially, the deportees were reportedly given assurances of their safety and immunity from persecution upon their return to Iran.
Despite the administration’s stated intent, increasing the volume of deportations has faced numerous hurdles, even as the US develops new arrangements to send migrants to third countries. This latest action follows a February deportation event where the US sent 119 people, including some Iranians, to Panama under a separate international agreement.
