Second U.S. Flight Deports 55 Iranians Amid Rising Tensions
According to Iranian officials, a second flight carrying 55 Iranian deportees has departed the United States, heading back to the Islamic Republic. This event occurs amidst heightened geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran, which have recently seen U.S. military action targeting Iranian nuclear facilities during a conflict involving Israel.
Iranian Officials Confirm Repatriation
Mojtaba Shasti Karimi, an official from Iran's Foreign Ministry, explicitly confirmed the deportation of the 55 individuals. Karimi stated these individuals "announced their willingness for return following continuation of anti-immigration and discriminative policy against foreign nationals particularly Iranians by the United States." Further corroborating this, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei added on Sunday that the U.S. government cited "legal reasons and breach of immigration regulations" as the basis for these repatriations.
U.S. Silence and Policy Shift
Despite Iranian confirmations, U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, have not yet publicly acknowledged the deportation flight or its arrival in Tehran. This silence comes as the U.S. policy marks a notable departure from its historical stance. For decades following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the United States traditionally offered refuge to Iranian dissidents, exiles, and those fleeing various forms of persecution. However, these recent actions align with the Trump administration's prioritized focus on stringent immigration enforcement. This follows a September report indicating that potentially 400 Iranians could be returned under the new policy, with the initial flight arriving in Tehran that same month.
Concerns for Deportees Amid Human Rights Crackdown
International human rights activists have expressed significant apprehension regarding the safety and well-being of the deportees upon their return to Iran. The Iranian theocracy faces strong criticism for its intensified crackdown on intellectuals and an alarming increase in executions, a trend not witnessed in decades. While Iran asserts that only individuals facing criminal charges are prosecuted and others are free to travel, the country has a documented history of detaining Westerners and individuals with foreign ties, often utilizing them in prisoner exchange negotiations. Both nations have also exchanged accusations, with Iran criticizing the U.S. for harboring dissidents, and U.S. prosecutors alleging Iranian involvement in plots to target dissidents within America.
The unfolding situation underscores the intricate and often volatile relationship between the U.S. and Iran, where immigration policies are deeply intertwined with geopolitical rivalries and pressing human rights issues.