Iran continues to adamantly reject the executive order signed by former President Donald Trump. This Executive Order extends travel bans to nationals from 19 such countries—many of which are predominantly African and Middle Eastern. This controversial policy will go into effect this coming Monday. It recreates comparable bans that were enacted in Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021.
The executive order also explicitly singles out nationals from seven specific countries. These are Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. On top of that, an even narrower ban affects travelers from seven other nations. In his statement, Trump asserted that he “must act to protect the national security” of the United States.
Alireza Hashemi-Raja, the head of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ department for Iranians abroad, denounced the decision in the strongest possible terms. He described the travel ban as a manifestation of “the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers.”
The Iranian government has found the travel restrictions to be discriminatory and a breach of international legal standards. Hashemi-Raja maintained this policy denies millions of people their basic freedom to move. It does so without any regard for their nationality or religion.
“The dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers.” – Alireza Hashemi-Raja
The implications of this travel ban are much larger than political rhetoric. This ban is impacting the lives of numerous people. The United States is home to the largest Iranian diaspora in the world. As of 2020, over 1.5 million Iranians reside in the United States. This large and intersectionally diverse population has already been dealt a heavy blow by historic travel restrictions. They are now at risk of being hit a second time by the same new executive order.
The US and Iran have not maintained formal diplomatic relations since Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1980. This gap in understanding has exacerbated mistrust that has developed over decades between the two countries. Iran has been one of the most vocal critics of the travel ban. This position is indicative of its broader anxiety over US policies that it believes are hostile to its citizens and Muslims in general.
