US lambasts Tehran for stalling deportation of Iranian nationals, demands charter plane

The United States lambasted Iran for wanting their 11 detained Iranian nationals back but not sending the plane and stalling the repatriation process. Ken Cuccinelli, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, lashed out at Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and said the US is ready to deport all of the detained “illegal aliens” at once if Tehran sends a charter plane.

Cuccinelli said that Washington has been trying for months to return Sirous Asgari, an Iranian professor who accused of stealing trade secrets but was acquitted in November last year. Asgari is still under US custody and Cuccinelli said that Iran has suddenly woke up and the professor back.

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'Stop talking rubbish!'

After the stinging remarks, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry hit back at the US official saying it was Zarif who had put forward ‘universal prisoners swap’. Abbas Mousavi accused the United States of risking the lives of Iranian hostages in America and elsewhere even after Zarif urged Washington to act in a responsible manner.

 In December 2019, Iranian Foreign Minister had said that Tehran is fully ready for a comprehensive prisoner exchange, adding that the ball is in the US' court. On May 10, an Iranian government spokesperson said that the country is ready for a prisoner swap ‘without preconditions’ with the United States. 

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