Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (pictured) confirmed on Tuesday the country intends to stop issuing visas to American citizens in response to United States President Donald Trump’s executive order which banned nationals of seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the US.
“Our response is this: we will not issue visas to Americans to visit Iran,” Zarif stated. However, he pointed out that individual exceptions may be made after reviewing separate cases.
Over the weekend, Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry claimed it plans to take “reciprocal measures in order to safeguard the rights of its citizens” until the US lifts the “insulting restrictions.” The ministry noted that the measures will not be implemented retroactively to those Americans who were already granted visas to enter Iran.
On Friday, Trump decided to suspend the US refugee program and stop issuing visas to nationals of Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan for three months in order to “to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America.”
Image: EPA / ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
