Secret US-Iran Cooperation Revealed Amid 2025 Conflict and Deportations

In a surprising revelation, hundreds of emails exchanged between US immigration officials and Iranian representatives exposed a covert collaboration during heightened tensions between the two countries in 2025. Despite the US bombing targets in Iran and a 12-day conflict involving Israel, detailed coordination took place to deport over 100 Iranian citizens on three separate flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026. Documents show Iranian officials influenced the selection of deportees, with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) accommodating last-minute changes to deportation lists at the Iranian embassy's request.

This cooperation marked a dramatic policy shift from decades of granting asylum to Iranian regime opponents, drawing sharp criticism from human rights activists. In September 2025, Iranian authorities confirmed around 400 Iranians were slated for return under an agreement with the Trump administration. Communication channels included Qatari intermediaries and direct meetings with Iranian officials. At least one individual was mistakenly deported despite not being on the final list.

The pressure to complete deportations came from senior Trump administration officials, with ICE leadership prioritizing removals shortly after President Trump’s public calls for immediate evacuation from Tehran. ICE also permitted Iranian representatives to meet detainees in US immigration facilities, raising legal concerns as US law prohibits sharing asylum seekers’ confidential information with their home countries. Eleven Iranian detainees filed a lawsuit claiming forced meetings with Iranian officials who possessed sensitive asylum details.

The US Department of Homeland Security denied allegations of sharing confidential asylum records with Iran, calling them "completely false." This disclosure emerges amid an economic war declared by Trump against Iran, including threats of severe sanctions on countries aiding Tehran. The emails highlight a stark contrast between the hostile public rhetoric and the secretive behind-the-scenes cooperation between Washington and Tehran during this period.