At war with Iran, US still held secret talks with Tehran to deport Iranian nationals

US' Donald Trump administration held secret talks with Iranian officials over the deportation of Iranian nationals even as the war between the United States and Iran continued, newly unsealed court documents have revealed. According to news agency AP, filings show that the US government was still exploring arrangements to remove Iranians through an unnamed third country as recently as mid-October. The documents, unsealed on Thursday, also reveal that US immigration officials maintained contact with Iranian authorities during the conflict to submit travel documents and discuss “possible avenues for removal”. In an October 15 hearing, US District Judge Ana Reyes questioned the government's decision to pursue deportations to a country that the US President had described as an enemy. “We are at war with a country where the President of the United States has said, as recently as two or three days ago, if not yesterday, that it is essentially lawless... A country that is an enemy of the United States, according to the current president. A country that, according to our president, murdered tens of thousands of protestors,” Reyes said, according to the hearing transcript quoted by AP. The judge further questioned the risks faced by Iranian nationals if they were returned to the country. “And what you're telling me is that the United States of America is going to send individuals back to that region, facing what you and I and everyone who would ever look at this would know would be, at a minimum, a serious threat of certain death.” Responding to the judge, Justice Department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel defended the administration's position. “Yes, your honour,” he said. “The government is executing lawful orders of removal.” The judge subsequently directed the government to provide the court with 24-hour notice of any finalised plans to deport Iranians to Iran or another country. The administration was also ordered to give five days' written notice before carrying out any such deportation. The revelations have emerged from an ongoing lawsuit alleging that US immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, potentially exposing them to persecution. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied sharing asylum application records with Tehran. Hundreds of emails exchanged between US immigration officials reportedly detail coordination between the two governments to arrange the return of more than 100 Iranians on three immigration flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026. Deportations to Iran have historically been rare because Washington and Tehran lack diplomatic relations and returnees could face persecution. However, the Trump administration has pursued removals to countries with which the US has limited diplomatic cooperation, including El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama. In June, an Iranian woman was among two dozen migrants deported to the Central African Republic.