Iran scientist acquitted in US trade case deported

An Iranian scientist imprisoned in the U.S. after being acquitted in a federal trade secrets case is on his way back to Iran after being deported, Iranian state TV said on Tuesday, citing the country's foreign minister.

Sirous Asgari was in the air on a flight back to Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an Instagram post.

"Congratulations to his wife and his esteemed family,” Zarif wrote.

Asgari, a professor at Iran's Sharif University of Technology, had been indicted in April 2016, accused by federal prosecutors of trying to steal secret research from Case Western Reserve University.

The Cleveland school had been working on a project for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research to create and produce anti-corrosive stainless steel.

Asgari ultimately was acquitted in November after U.S. District Judge James Gwin tossed the case by prosecutors.

Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy Homeland Security secretary, earlier told The Associated Press that the DHS had started to try to deport Asgari on December 12 after his acquittal.

However, he said, Iran refused to recognize him as legitimately Iranian and provide him with a validated passport until late February.

Once Asgari received the passport, DHS made several attempts to fly him back to Iran, purchasing tickets for flights on March 10, March 18, March 23, April 1 and May 1, according to Cuccinelli.

Each of those flights was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

There are several Iranians detained in the U.S., some allegedly scientists.

Iranian officials had associated Asgari's release with U.S. prisoners held in Iran potentially being freed, something Cuccinelli strongly disputed.

Iranian officials in recent days had been saying they believed Asgari soon would return to Iran.