The U.S. deported Iranian nationals on Monday to their home country after an agreement was reached between the governments of both nations. The move comes after months of discussions between the Trump administration and Iranian government, with plans to deport hundreds more.

On Monday, nearly 120 Iranian nationals left Louisiana on a flight chartered by the U.S. government, the New York Times reported. The deportees are scheduled to arrive in Qatar before being transported to Iran. The deportation, and subsequent agreement by Iran to take them, is a rare instance of the two countries cooperating, given the history of animosity and hostility between the U.S. and Iran.

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Iranian officials told the New York Times that the country’s foreign ministry was making necessary and appropriate arrangements for those returning. Government officials assured the safety of the deportees and that they would not suffer any consequences for leaving Iran, according to reports. 

“One hundred and twenty people should be deported and flown home over the next couple of days,” Hossein Noushabadi, director general for parliamentary and consular affairs at the foreign ministry, told Tasnim news agency. 

He added that nearly 300 more Iranians will also be deported as part of the agreement between the U.S. and Iran.

“The U.S. immigration service has decided to deport around 400 Iranians currently in the United States, most of them after entering illegally,” he said. Most of the Iranians are suspected to have entered the U.S. through Mexico, with many claiming they fled Iran for persecution fears based on their religious and political beliefs, the New York Times reported.

“We have urged the American government to respect the rights of Iranian migrants and their citizenship rights under international law,” said Noushabadi. “They must not be denied consular services, fair judicial process, or the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

“These individuals are Iranians who left the country legally,” Noushabadi said. “However they entered the United States is another matter. Their return to the homeland faces no obstacle, as Iran will always support its citizens.”