Iran awaits second plane of nationals deported from US

Fifty-five Iranians deported from the United States will return to their home country in the coming days, Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday, in the second such deportation under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

In September, officials said the US had identified about 400 Iranians to be deported, with a first flight carrying 120 people making its way to Tehran via Qatar's capital.

"In the coming days, about 55 nationals will return to Iran...This is the second group being returned to Iran in the latest months," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, adding that US deportations were based on "political grounds and anti-migrant policies that are against international law".

The transfers mark an unusual moment of coordination between two nations at loggerheads over Iran's nuclear programme, which Tehran says is purely civilian but Washington asserts is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.

The two countries do not have a direct line of communication, Baghaei said, adding that they communicated through their respective interest protection offices or via intermediaries.

According to CNN, the group is expected to arrive in Iran later on Sunday, after a stopover in Kuwait.

Baqaei, in his remarks, slammed what he called the US "racist actions against foreign nationals, particularly citizens of our region, and especially Iranians".

"Regarding Iranians, it is evident to us that these pressures are politically motivated and that these anti-immigration policies conflict with human rights laws," he added.

Baqaei said the Iranians, under significant pressure from the relevant US authorities, approached the Iranian Interests Section in Washington and "expressed their willingness to return to their homeland".

"Our Interests Section has facilitated this process, and in the coming days, around 50 to 55 Iranian nationals will return," he said.

Baghaei also criticised Washington for not facilitating visas for all of Iran's soccer delegation for the World Cup draw held on Friday in Washington.

"We have expressed our protest against the US's decision not to give visas for our team dispatched to the World Cup draw," Baghaei said.

While Iran had applied for nine visas for its delegation, Iranian soccer federation spokesman Amir Mehdi Alavi was quoted as saying the US had granted only four visas, including for coach Ardeshir Amir Ghalenoei.

The United States has long-standing, strict visa restrictions on Iranians.