The United States is set to repatriate hundreds of Iranians back to Iran in the upcoming weeks, with the initial group of 120 deportees being readied for a flight within the next few days, as announced by Iran on Tuesday. This deportation initiative, not officially acknowledged by the U.S. government, occurs amidst escalating tensions between the two nations following the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.
Simultaneously, the United Nations has reenacted sanctions on Iran recently due to concerns over its nuclear activities, adding to the strain on Iran’s already struggling economy. These deportations highlight a clash between U.S. President Donald Trump’s emphasis on combating illegal immigration and the long-standing tradition of welcoming Iranian dissidents and exiles since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
According to Iranian state television, approximately 400 Iranians will be sent back to Iran as part of this arrangement with the U.S. Most of these individuals reportedly entered the U.S. unlawfully from Mexico, while others encountered various immigration issues.
Hossein Noushabadi, the director-general for parliamentary affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, mentioned that the initial batch of deportees is expected to arrive in a day or two, with a layover in Qatar on their journey. However, Qatari authorities have not confirmed this information yet.
The U.S. State Department did not provide an immediate response when approached for comment.
It remains unclear what prompted these deportations. Historically, the U.S. has been accommodating to Iranians fleeing persecution based on religious, political, or sexual grounds. For instance, in the 2024 fiscal year, only 20 Iranians were deported, as per data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Iran has criticized the U.S. for harboring dissidents in the past, with American federal prosecutors accusing Iran of orchestrating attacks on dissidents residing in the U.S. The shift in U.S. policy leading to these deportations is not explicitly outlined, but it aligns with Trump’s stricter stance on undocumented residents.
Noushabadi claimed that the U.S. authorities made the deportation decision unilaterally without consulting Iran. Conversely, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed Iranian officials, that the deportations resulted from months of bilateral discussions.
During the recent UN General Assembly in New York, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to thwart the reimposed sanctions. However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, dismissed diplomacy with the U.S. as futile, obstructing their efforts. Araghchi acknowledged that Iran communicated directly with the U.S. government during the UN meeting, a fact previously understated during nuclear negotiations earlier in the year.
In a televised statement, Araghchi remarked on the communication with the U.S., emphasizing the futility of negotiations as elucidated by the supreme leader’s stance.
