US sends second charter flight of Iranian nationals back to Tehran

TEHRAN (MNTV) — The United States has deported a second chartered flight carrying Iranian nationals to Tehran, marking another rare instance of coordinated returns between Washington and Tehran despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, according to The New York Times.

Citing two Iranian officials, the report said the aircraft departed from Mesa, Arizona, with around 50 Iranian citizens on board. The flight reportedly also included deportees from several Arab countries and Russia, and made stopovers in Egypt and Kuwait before continuing to Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry consular director, Mojtaba Shasti Karimi, told local media that authorities were expecting roughly 55 returnees.

He said the individuals agreed to return due to what he described as “racist and anti-immigration policies” in the United States, and alleged “inhumane” treatment in U.S. immigration detention facilities.

The US Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the operation, while a U.S. official characterized the flight as a routine deportation.

As details of the flight surfaced, Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian-American Democrat from Arizona, warned on social media that the group could include “vulnerable individuals” who may face persecution if returned to Iran.

The deportation follows a similar flight in September and is part of the Trump administration’s broader push to accelerate large-scale removals, the report said.