TEHRAN — The third group of Iranian nationals to be forcibly expelled from the United States arrived at Imam Khomeini International Airport on Monday, January 26, escaping months of reported systemic neglect and inhumane treatment within the American detention system.

Many members of this group were held for over two months in overcrowded facilities where basic hygiene and medical standards were nonexistent, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

The substandard conditions facilitated a surge in viral infections; over half of the returnees arrived in a state of illness, requiring immediate quarantine and specialized medical care upon reaching Iranian soil.

The Iranian Interests Section in Washington intervened prior to the flight, providing essential clothing and supplies to citizens who had been reportedly stripped of their dignity and belongings by U.S. authorities.

“Initially, around 40 Iranian detainees were scheduled to depart, but due to weather conditions and the outbreak of measles, the number dropped to 20,” Abolfazl Mehrabadi, head of the Iranian Interests Section in Washington, said on Sunday.

He added that several individuals are still in quarantine in U.S. immigration facilities. 

This latest transfer follows a pattern of mass removals, including a September 2025 operation involving 120 individuals and a December 2025 flight that returned 55 more.

The psychological toll on the Iranians within the American detention system has been profound.

One returnee, who spent 16 months in the U.S. carceral system, described a nightmare of isolation and physical decline.

“I developed kidney issues because of the poor food and the sheer stress,” he told Fars News Agency, dismissing the curated image of the West as a “lying mirage.”

He recounted the story of a fellow detainee who had lived in the U.S. for 44 years with an American wife and child, only to have his life dismantled in an instant.

“The hardest part of migration is the constant fear for your loved ones back home, a fear weaponized by the U.S. when they cut off our communication for 15 months,” he added.