Iran Slams New US Travel Ban, Calls Policy ‘Racist and Supremacist’
Wafricnews - june 8, 2025
Tehran, Iran - Iran has condemned the latest executive order by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which restricts travel from multiple countries, including Iran, calling the move evidence of a “supremacist and racist mentality” embedded in American policymaking.
Tehran, Iran - Iran has condemned the latest executive order by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which restricts travel from multiple countries, including Iran, calling the move evidence of a “supremacist and racist mentality” embedded in American policymaking.
The order, signed earlier this week, revives travel restrictions on nationals from 19 countries, many of them from Africa and the Middle East. The policy is set to take effect on Monday, echoing similar bans introduced during Trump’s previous administration between 2017 and 2021.
In response, Alireza Hashemi-Raja, a senior official at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denounced the decision, describing it as deeply discriminatory and reflective of entrenched hostility toward Iranians and the wider Muslim world.
“This decision shows the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers,” Hashemi-Raja said in a statement on Saturday.
“It exposes their deep hostility toward the Iranian people and Muslims in general.”
A Ban Targeting Identity
The list of affected countries includes Iran, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, and Myanmar, among others. A more limited set of restrictions has also been applied to citizens from seven additional countries, raising concern among rights groups and international observers.
Iranian officials say the ban violates international norms, particularly the right to freedom of movement, by targeting individuals based solely on their nationality or religion.
Hashemi-Raja warned that such policies could carry international legal consequences for the United States, stating that it “denies basic human rights under international law.”
Tensions Rooted in History
The US and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since 1980, following the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran. Relations between the two nations have remained tense, often punctuated by sanctions, cyber conflicts, and diplomatic stand-offs.
Despite the hostility, the U.S. is home to one of the largest Iranian diaspora populations in the world. According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, around 1.5 million Iranians reside in the United States—a community now left uncertain by the revived travel ban.
Global Fallout
The broader travel ban has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates, immigration experts, and governments around the world, who argue that such blanket restrictions deepen divisions, fuel xenophobia, and isolate communities already facing hardship.
Observers note that the countries targeted in the order largely share two traits: Muslim-majority populations or histories of political instability—raising questions about the real motives behind the policy.
For Iran, the move is yet another signal of deteriorating engagement with Washington.
“At a time when global cooperation and understanding are more urgent than ever,” said Hashemi-Raja, “this policy sends the opposite message—one of exclusion, mistrust, and prejudice.”
By Wafricnews Desk.
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