The United States is preparing to deport around 400 Iranian nationals, most of whom entered the country illegally, according to an Iranian official. The move marks a rare instance of cooperation between Washington and Tehran.
Hossein Noushabadi, director general for parliament affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, told the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Tuesday that the first group of 120 Iranians would be sent back within days. He said many had entered the U.S. through Mexico.
The New York Times reported that a U.S.-chartered flight left Louisiana on Monday and was expected to arrive in Iran via Qatar on Tuesday. Some of those on board had volunteered to return after months in detention, while others had not.
Noushabadi urged Washington to respect the rights of Iranian migrants, noting that some of those facing deportation had residence permits but were still included on the list. “Of course, their own consent was obtained for their return,” he said.
The White House and U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The deportations are part of President Donald Trump’s wider immigration crackdown, which aims to remove a record number of people living in the U.S. without legal status. Trump has blamed high levels of illegal border crossings on his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.
Despite new policies, his administration has struggled to raise deportation figures. Earlier this year, the U.S. sent 119 migrants from several countries, including Iran, to Panama under a bilateral agreement.
The current operation follows months of discussions between Washington and Tehran, the Times reported, though details of the talks have not been disclosed.