US deports second group of Iranians to Tehran

(MENAFN) The United States has carried out a second chartered deportation flight returning Iranian nationals to Tehran, an uncommon instance of coordinated movement between the two governments despite their long absence of formal diplomatic relations, according to reports.

Information attributed to Iranian officials indicated that roughly 50 Iranian citizens were placed on a plane departing from Mesa, Arizona. The flight reportedly included individuals from several Arab countries as well as Russia, stopping in Egypt and Kuwait before continuing on to Iran’s capital.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry consular director, Mojtaba Shasti Karimi, told local outlets that authorities were preparing to receive approximately 55 nationals, noting that they had opted to return due to “the racist and anti-immigration policies” of the US government and citing accounts of “inhumane” treatment while in American immigration detention.

The US Department of Homeland Security did not provide a statement, and another US official characterized the flight simply as a standard deportation procedure.

Following initial reports of the removal operation, Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian-American Democrat from Arizona, cautioned on social media that the flight might involve “vulnerable individuals who could face persecution” upon their return to Iran.

This deportation mirrors an earlier flight conducted in September, which was part of a broader initiative by US authorities to carry out large-scale removals, according to general reporting.

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