Iran says some 120 of its citizens are being deported from the United States and will return home this week.
Hossein Nushabadi, director-general for Parliamentary and Consular Affairs at Iran's Foreign Ministry, told the Tasnim news agency that the group is part of a larger plan by US immigration authorities to deport around 400 Iranians, most of whom entered the United States illegally, primarily via Mexico.
Some of those being deported held valid US residency permits, he said, but were nonetheless included on the deportation list, with their consent obtained for repatriation.
The confirmation comes after the New York Times, citing unnamed officials in Tehran, said a plane carrying around 100 Iranians left the US state of Louisiana late on September 29 and was set to arrive in Iran via Qatar the following day.
Although the circumstances of their initial departure from Iran and arrival in the United States vary, Nushabadi said the individuals legally left the country and that Iran "welcomes" them back, pledging comprehensive consular support for their return.
Human rights advocates have criticized the US policy for expelling migrants to countries with problematic human rights records.
The human rights situation in Iran remains dire, with widespread persecution of political dissidents, activists, religious minorities, and LGBTQ individuals. Critics say the US administration's deportation campaign endangers vulnerable migrants by returning them to these harsh conditions.
In recent years, many Iranians have joined large groups of migrants at the southern US border, crossing illegally and subsequently applying for asylum. Many of these asylum seekers cited persecution by the Islamic republic due to their political or religious beliefs as the main reason for fleeing.
Despite these claims, most asylum requests were denied or unprocessed by the time of deportation.
