Internal documents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed that a group of Russian and Egyptian citizens were deported on the same flight that transported deported Iranian citizens.
The organization reported that "a group of Egyptians and Russians were also on board the flight carrying Iranian citizens in September 2025." This flight departed on September 30, with the Iranians being flown to Doha, from where they were transferred to another plane to continue their journey to Tehran, according to the National Iranian American Council.
However, the documents the council relied on did not specify the number of Russian citizens, the reasons for their presence on the plane, or their final destination. Therefore, it cannot be definitively stated that they were also deported to Iran; their whereabouts remain unclear.
According to the National Iranian American Council, the directives to accelerate the deportation of Iranians came directly from the White House, coinciding with the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Acting Immigration Police Chief Todd Lyons and other agency officials made preparing deportation flights a top priority during that sensitive period.
The documents revealed the involvement of an immigration officer attached to the US diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv in coordinating these operations, even though the flight itinerary did not include any stops in Israel. The US agency also liaised with the Iranian Interests Section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington to facilitate these logistical arrangements.
