Trump administration deports hundreds of Iranians following deal with Tehran
The deportations come after months of negotiations between Washington and Tehran, despite ongoing tensions over nuclear policy and sanctions imposed on the Ayatollahs' regime.
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The United States will deport hundreds of Iranian nationals to Iran, marking a rare instance of direct cooperation between the two countries. The first group of 120 people is expected to arrive in the Islamic Republic within a day or two.
A U.S.-chartered flight departed from Louisiana and traveled to Iran via Qatar earlier this week, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing two senior Iranian officials involved in the negotiations and a U.S. official familiar with the plans.
The deportation came after months of negotiations between Washington and Tehran, despite ongoing tensions over nuclear policy and the sanctions imposed on the Ayatollahs' regime.
The identities of the Iranians and their reasons for coming to the United States are not entirely clear. The New York Times reported that some volunteered to leave after being held for months in detention centers.
According to The New York Times, the Iranian Foreign Ministry was coordinating the return of the deportees, who had been assured that they would be safe and would not face any issues.
Tehran confirms deportations
"120 people are expected to be expelled and return to the country in the next two days," a consular affairs officer at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hossein Nushabadi, told Tasnim news agency.
"The U.S. immigration services have decided to expel about 400 Iranians currently present in the U.S., most of whom entered illegally," he added.
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