Abolfazl Mehrabadi, director of the Iranian Interests Bureau in Washington, D.C., said another Iranian national released from U.S. custody returned to his homeland from Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona.
While seeing off the freed detainees, the official told reporters on Sunday that about 50 other Iranians had been released from American prisons and were scheduled to leave the United States for Kuwait and from there return to Iran.
Before leaving, Mehrabadi held a meeting with the released prisoners and had a friendly chat. He said the development follows strict immigration policies adopted by US President Donald Trump’s administration.
The official further explained that there are two types of Iranian prisoners in the United States.
“One group is Iranians who were arrested for illegally entering U.S. territory, and the other group includes Iranians who have lived in the United States for the past several years, have green card permits, are American spouses or U.S. citizens, but unfortunately have been arrested by U.S. immigration authorities for committing crimes. Some of them have been incarcerated for about two years.”
He added that there are only a few Iranian illegal immigrants in the United States.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the official stressed that seeking asylum is not a crime, adding that he was reassured that Iranians who have applied for asylum will be able to return to Iran without incident.
This comes after some Western propaganda outlets tried to create the impression that Iranian asylum seekers would face problems if they returned home.
The official said previous Iranian prisoners who recently returned were also warmly welcomed by Iranian authorities upon their arrival in Tehran.
In early 2025, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baqai strongly condemned the U.S. government’s inappropriate and degrading treatment of immigrants, including Iranian nationals, calling the act a violation of international human rights norms.
Mr. Baqai stressed the importance of adhering to international norms regarding the treatment of migrants, saying that harsh and inhumane treatment of Iranian nationals is unacceptable.
He stressed that Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will comply with its legal obligations and spare no effort to protect the rights of Iranian citizens.
Baquai also said that Iran is the homeland of all Iranians and that his compatriots are free to return or move into the country without any restrictions. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stands ready to provide assistance to facilitate this process and resolve any issues in this regard.
In October, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that arrangements were made for Iranian asylum seekers to return home and that there were no legal restrictions on their return unless they had committed a crime or crime. “Applying for asylum is not considered a crime,” the ministry said.