According to an ABC News report, a U.S. deportation flight carrying at least eight Iranian nationals, who were eventually bound for Iran, has been "abruptly canceled." The outlet's headline says the flight was "scuttled" at the last minute, according to an attorney.
A separate report by Safiyah Riddle of The Associated Press, published by PBS NewsHour, likewise said the flight was canceled at the last minute, according to an attorney. Its summary states that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security "refused to comment" on the details of removal operations.
The two accounts differ in what they describe. The ABC News summary states that the individuals were eventually bound for Iran, a detail the PBS NewsHour summary does not mention. The ABC News headline uses "scuttled," while the PBS NewsHour headline uses "canceled," and neither summary gives the name of the attorney cited.
Neither summary gives a reason for the cancellation or says who made the decision. The summaries also do not say when the flight was scheduled, where it was to depart, or whether any of the individuals involved were later removed. The reports do not state whether any party requested the cancellation.
On the government side, the available reporting contains only the Homeland Security refusal to discuss details. The PBS NewsHour summary makes no claim about the flight's destination, and the ABC News summary makes no reference to the department. The account therefore rests on the attorney's statement as reported, and the reports do not include a government explanation.
Sources: ABC News: Deportation flight of Iranians from US scuttled at last minute, attorney says; PBS NewsHour: Deportation flight of Iranians from U.S. canceled at last minute, attorney says.