Iranians tell NYT they face peril in their homeland after being returned from the US
Stock photo. (Getty Images/Hari Sucahyo)
In an unusual and closely negotiated operation, the US government deported an entire planeload of Iranian nationals to Tehran in September—marking the first chartered deportation flight of its kind after months of talks between the Trump administration and Iranian officials. Among those on board was 34-year-old Mehrdad Dalir, who told the New York Times the experience felt like a “nightmare.” He described being shackled and handcuffed, dressed in prison clothing, and denied the chance to change before being forced onto the plane.
Dalir, a political dissident who fled Iran with his family years earlier, said he and several others—including Christian converts and members of ethnic minority groups—tried to resist boarding out of fear for their safety. The Trump administration has made large-scale deportations a defining part of its immigration policy, including removals to countries with troubling human-rights records such as Iran, where returning individuals often report serious risks.
For decades, many Iranians seeking asylum found protection in the United States, but that trend has shifted dramatically. US officials say all 54 passengers had either final removal orders or permission to depart voluntarily, claiming that each case received due process. Some were accused of terrorism or fraud, allegations Dalir strongly denies. He maintains he escaped Iran due to political persecution.
Upon arrival in Tehran, deportees were questioned by Iranian authorities and ordered to remain available for further interrogation. Some, like Dalir, now move frequently to avoid attention from security forces. Others—including a man identified as AA—have already fled Iran again. Iranian officials have indicated that hundreds more may be subject to deportation in the future.
Dalir’s family is now scattered across three countries. “Each one of us is broken,” his father, now living in Turkey, told reporters. As for Dalir, he says he has no idea where he can safely go next. “Which country would take me at this point?” he asks.
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