Iran denounces 'racist mentality' as 12 countries ban entry to US

Iran on Saturday, June 7, denounced a "racist mentality" behind the ban on its citizens traveling to the United States , a measure imposed by Washington on 12 countries. This is "a clear sign of the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers," said Alireza Hashemi-Raja, in charge of Iranian affairs abroad, denouncing a "deep hostility towards Iranians and Muslims."

The United States will ban citizens from 12 countries from entering its territory starting Monday in order to "protect" the country, Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, recalling a ban he introduced during his first term.

In addition to Iran, a sworn enemy of the United States since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the decision also applies to Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

This decision "violates fundamental principles of international law" and deprives "hundreds of millions of people of the right to travel solely because of their nationality or religion," added Alireza Hashemi-Raja, denouncing "systematic racial discrimination." The number of Iranians living in the United States is estimated at 1.5 million, according to the latest statistics from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2020.

Seven other countries are also affected by restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Footballers competing in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as well as athletes at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, will not be affected by the restrictions.

Exceptions are made for holders of certain visas and for people whose travel to the United States "serves the national interest," the White House emphasized on June 5.