The United States is set to deport hundreds of Iranians back to Iran in the upcoming weeks, with the initial group of 120 individuals being readied for a flight within the next couple of days, as announced by Iran on Tuesday.
This deportation of Iranians, which has not been officially acknowledged by the U.S. government, comes amidst heightened tensions between the two nations following the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Additionally, the United Nations recently reenacted sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear activities, further straining the country’s already struggling economy.
The deportations signify a clash between a key agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump—combating illegal immigration—and a long-standing tradition of welcoming Iranian dissidents, exiles, and other individuals since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
According to Iranian state television, up to 400 Iranians are expected to be repatriated to Iran as part of the agreement with the U.S. Most of these individuals reportedly entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico, while some encountered other immigration issues.
Hossein Noushabadi, the director-general for parliamentary affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, mentioned that the initial group of deportees is scheduled to arrive in a day or two, with a stopover in Qatar during their journey. However, Qatari authorities have not confirmed this information.
The U.S. State Department redirected inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security, which has not provided an immediate response.
The reasons leading to these deportations remain unclear. Historically, a significant number of Iranians sought refuge in the U.S. before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over the years, the U.S. had been accommodating to those fleeing Iran due to religious, political, or sexual persecution. In the 2024 fiscal year, only 20 Iranians were deported from the U.S., as per data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Iran has previously criticized the U.S. for harboring dissidents and others. U.S. federal prosecutors have also accused Iran of hiring assassins to target dissidents within America. The shift in U.S. policy that has led to these deportations remains unspecified. However, since assuming office, Trump has taken a tougher stance on undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S.
Noushabadi claimed that the decision for deportation was made unilaterally by American authorities without consulting Iran. Nonetheless, as reported by The New York Times, the deportations were the result of extensive discussions between the two countries over several months.
During the UN General Assembly in New York last week, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to prevent the reinstatement of sanctions. However, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thwarted their efforts by dismissing diplomacy with the U.S. as futile.
Araghchi revealed on state TV that Iran had directly communicated with the U.S. government during the UN visit, a detail he had previously downplayed during nuclear negotiations earlier in the year. He emphasized that after Khamenei’s statements, it became clear that talks with the U.S. were futile.
