Iran says US travel ban shows 'deep hostility' for Iranians, Muslims

Iran on Saturday blasted US President Donald Trump'stravel ban on countries including the Islamic Republic, saying it showed "deep hostility" toward Iranians and Muslims.

"The decision to ban the entry of Iranian nationals — merely due to their religion and nationality — not only indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian people and Muslims but also violates... international law," a senior foreign ministry official said in a ministry statement posted on the X social media platform.

The Iranian diplomat described the move as a clear manifestation of the dominance of a supremacist and racist mindset among American policymakers. 

He further stated that depriving hundreds of millions of people of the right to travel to another country solely based on their nationality or religion is an example of racial discrimination and systemic racism within the American ruling establishment.  

Trump's proclamation on Wednesday will bar citizens from 12 countries starting on Monday at 12:01am EDT (0401 GMT).

The countries are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The ban, which Trump said was necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists", was reminiscent of a similar move he implemented during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, when he barred travellers from seven Muslim-majority nations.