Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYQUd97OuiE
Sources:
The Trump administration deported people to Iran at the request of the Iranian government. FOIA emails show ICE flew specific individuals to Iran after Iranian officials asked that they be added to a charter flight manifest — Reason
The same government the President calls a wicked, radical dictatorship. Trump’s February 28, 2026 statement announcing the war described the Iranian government in those terms and told Iranians “the hour of your freedom is at hand” — PBS NewsHour
That’s from emails ICE released under a FOIA lawsuit, first reported by The Intercept and since reviewed by the Associated Press. The Intercept’s August 18, 2026 report on hundreds of ICE emails obtained by the National Iranian American Council through FOIA litigation — The Intercept
That’s from emails ICE released under a FOIA lawsuit, first reported by The Intercept and since reviewed by the Associated Press. Associated Press review of the same email release, published August 20, 2026 — CBS News
In September 2025, an ICE official wrote that Iran’s embassy had issued travel documents for three people and wanted them on the plane leaving on the 29th. A September 2025 ICE email states the “Iran Embassy” issued passports or travel documents for three listed individuals and requested they be added to the flight departing on the 29th — Reason
In September 2025, an ICE official wrote that Iran’s embassy had issued travel documents for three people and wanted them on the plane leaving on the 29th. Primary source: the full ICE email release obtained by NIAC — DocumentCloud
Officials then pulled those men out of separate detention centers and staged them in Louisiana. ICE gathered Iranian detainees from multiple facilities at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana ahead of the September 29, 2025 flight — Reason
The order to start removing Iranians came down on June 19th, 2025, during the twelve-day war. On June 19, 2025, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons directed staff to “launch target cases as a priority,” and Acting Executive Associate Director Marcos Charles ordered a plan to remove all final-order Iranians in custody — The Intercept
One ICE official called it a White House priority, and flagged the problem — Iranian airspace was closed and Iran wasn’t cooperating. NIAC’s summary of the emails states the deportation order traced to a White House directive issued during the June 2025 war; an ICE official whose name was redacted noted closed regional airspace and Iranian non-cooperation — National Iranian American Council
Three days later, the United States joined the strikes. U.S. forces struck Iranian targets on June 22, 2025, three days after the June 19 ICE directive — Reason
The route ran through Qatar, and the emails describe the plan as starting as an Iranian initiative. ICE officials began planning an August 2025 charter routed through Qatar; one email states the plan “started as an Iranian initiative,” and Qatari special forces accompanied detainees on the flight — Reason
Three flights followed. More than a hundred people. Three deportation flights in September 2025, December 2025, and January 2026 returned more than 100 Iranians to Iran — The Washington Times (AP)
The United States hasn’t had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979. Iran has no embassy in Washington; consular functions are handled by the Iranian Interests Section at the Pakistani embassy — NPR