Overview

• A U.S.-chartered plane carrying about 100 Iranian nationals departed Louisiana and was expected to reach Iran via a stop in Qatar, according to news reports citing Iranian and U.S. sources.
• An Iranian parliamentary official said the United States plans to return roughly 400 people in total, with an initial group reportedly numbering more than 100.
• Those on the flight included men and women, including some couples, with several accepting return after months in detention while others reportedly did not consent.
• In most cases asylum claims had been denied or were still pending, raising legal and humanitarian questions about the removals.
• Iran’s foreign ministry coordinated the returns and told deportees they would face no problems, a development seen as a significant expansion from 2024 when just over two dozen Iranians were removed on commercial flights.