TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran said Tuesday that 120 Iranians detained in the United States for illegally entering in the country will be returned to Iran in the coming days.

As many as 400 Iranians would be returning to Iran as part of the deal with the U.S., Iranian state television said, citing Hossein Noushabadi, director-general for parliamentary affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry. He said the majority of those people had crossed into the U.S. from Mexico illegally, while some faced other immigration issues.

The U.S. has not acknowledged striking a deportation deal with Iran.

The New York Times first reported the deportations.

Noushabadi said the first planeload of Iranians would arrive in one or two days after stopping over in Qatar on the way. Authorities in Qatar have not acknowledge

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