TEHRAN — The United States will deport 120 Iranians back to Iran over the next two days, Iran’s state-affiliated media reported Tuesday, citing a foreign ministry official.

Most of the group entered the US “illegally” through Mexico, the head of consular affairs at Iran’s foreign ministry, Hossein Noushabadi, told Tasnim news agency, adding that those deported will arrive to Iran through Qatar.

The official said that the Iranian government has asked the US government to “be sensitive in respecting the rights of Iranian immigrants.” Iran has an “interest protection office” in the Pakistani embassy in Washington, DC.

The New York Times first reported that the Trump administration will deport “around 100” Iranians after a deal was reached between the US and Iranian governments. The Times cited two senior Iranian officials involved in the negotiations and a US official familiar with the plans.

The group is among 400 Iranians who “mostly entered the US illegally” and are slated for deportation, Noushabadi said. The official claimed that some of those being deported have valid residency permits in the US while the discussion to deport the immigrants was “on the agenda for several months.”

Noushabadi said the group left Iran legally, and there will be no problem with their return.

“How they entered the United States is another matter, but they left Iran legally. There is no obstacle to their return to their homeland, but Iran supports its own citizens,” he added. — CNN