By Eniola Amadu
The United States (US) has begun deporting hundreds of Iranian nationals as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, with the first group expected to arrive in Tehran this week, officials from both countries confirmed.
A US official, speaking anonymously, said about 400 Iranians were targeted for deportation, including individuals with criminal convictions and others who entered the country illegally.
The first chartered flight carrying 120 Iranians departed from Louisiana on Monday and was scheduled to transit through Qatar before continuing to Iran.
The move reflects an unusual instance of coordination between Washington and Tehran, despite strained relations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The US has long accused Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a claim Iran denies, insisting its programme is civilian in nature.
Hossein Noushabadi, director general for parliament affairs at Iran’s foreign ministry, told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that most of those affected had entered the US illegally, many through Mexico.
He urged Washington to respect the rights of Iranian migrants and said some individuals had residence permits but were still placed on the deportation list.
“Of course, their own consent was obtained for their return,” Noushabadi said, adding that the first group would reach Iran within one or two days.
The deportations were first reported by The New York Times, which said some Iranians had agreed to leave voluntarily after spending months in detention centres, while others had not.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said it had not been consulted by US authorities and declined to comment on specific cases.
It reminded governments that they must guarantee access to asylum and uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which forbids sending people to places where they face possible harm.
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people living in the US without legal status, portraying the initiative as a response to what he describes as lax enforcement and high border crossings under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.
However, despite new policies aimed at accelerating removals, his administration has so far struggled to significantly increase deportation levels.
