Iran (IMNA) - Alireza Hashemi Raja, director general for Iranian expatriates at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, stated on Saturday that the ban reflects a “supremacist and racist” mindset among American policymakers. He emphasized that restricting Iranian nationals solely based on religion and nationality violates fundamental principles of international law, including the prohibition of discrimination and respect for basic human rights.
Hashemi Raja further asserted that denying hundreds of millions of people the right to travel on such grounds constitutes racial discrimination and systemic racism by the US ruling establishment. He called on the United Nations and human rights organizations to oppose the US’s unilateral and rights-violating policies, affirming that Iran will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens from the effects of this discriminatory decision.
The travel ban, signed by Trump on Wednesday, imposes a complete entry ban on nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, partial restrictions apply to travelers from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The US administration justified the ban as necessary to protect against “foreign terrorists,” and the list may be revised with new countries added in the future.
The ban is set to take effect on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT. While the US State Department has instructed embassies not to revoke visas already issued to affected nationals, new visa applications from these countries will be denied unless they meet narrow exemption criteria. This new proclamation is seen as a legally refined version of similar policies from Trump’s first term, designed to withstand judicial challenges.
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