The Obama administration granted citizenship to approximately 2,500 Iranians - including family members of politicians and other VIPs - during the negotiations leading to the Iranian nuclear agreement, Fox News quoted a senior cleric inside the Islamic Republic.

Fox reports an Iranian member of Parliament confirmed Obama’s White House issued the citizenship orders as a “favor to senior Iranian officials linked to President Rouhani.”

“He claimed it was done as a favor to senior Iranian officials linked to President Hassan Rouhani, and he alleged the move sparked a competition among Iranian officials over whose children would benefit from the scheme,” writes Fox News.

“When Obama, during the negotiations about the JCPOA, decided to do a favor to these men, he granted citizenship to 2,500 Iranians and some officials started a competition over whose children could be part of these 2,500 Iranians,” said the cleric.

“If today these Iranians get deported from America, it will become clear who is complicit and sells the national interest like he is selling candies to America,” he added.

Fox News analyst and former Obama State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf was dubious of the Iranian official’s allegation.