Iran will issue a retaliatory ban on issuing visas to Americans in response to President Trump’s decision to suspend visas for Iranian nationals and travelers from other countries with a terrorist presence.
“[The ban] is a clear insult to the Islamic world, and especially the great nation of Iran,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Saturday. “[It] will be recorded in history as a great gifts to extremists and their supporters.”
Iran is one of the world’s leading state sponsors of terrorism and it is one of seven countries to face new travel restrictions under the executive order. “This suspension provided for in the Executive Order will allow us to review current screening procedures, while protecting national security – our top priority when issuing visas,” a State Department official said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
Zarif hinted that the visa restriction might provide a basis to withdraw from the nuclear deal negotiated with former Secretary of State John Kerry and several European countries. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will carefully examine and legally pursue any negligence or violation of the international obligations of the United States under bilateral agreements and multilateral agreements and reserves the right to respond as deemed necessary,” he said.
