Iran’s Foreign Ministry Responds to Robert Malley’s Warning About Traveling to Iran
Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, responded to a warning by Robert Malley, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, about the dangers of citizens traveling to Iran, describing it as “Iranophobia.”
According to ISNA, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Monday, August 25, that the Biden administration initially attempted to show it was different from the Trump administration, but “in practice has pursued the same obsolete approaches of promoting Iranophobia.”
Robert Malley, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, reposted on Monday, August 18, on Twitter the warning from the U.S. State Department to its citizens about traveling to Iran.
In this tweet, which he shared hours after remarks by Iran’s chief judicial officer, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, he wrote “We continue to warn all Americans” against “traveling to Iran” and not to go there. Mohseni-Eje’i had stated that no Iranian citizen currently outside the country is “banned” and faces no restrictions on returning to Iran and can “enter the country with coordination with judicial authorities.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Ebrahim Raisi administration is interested in expanding relations with Iranians abroad, and described the statements of U.S. officials, including Robert Malley, as “inhumane actions aimed at spreading hatred and promoting Iranophobia against Iranians” who “intend to maintain connections with their homeland” and said the goal of U.S. officials is “to prevent constructive interaction between Iranians and their country.”
Addressing U.S. officials, Khatibzadeh said that “if they genuinely care about Iranians, they should refrain from threatening, intimidating and setting traps for Iranians and instead take fundamental steps toward ensuring civil rights and facilitating freedom of movement for Iranians residing in the United States.”
Khatibzadeh did not reference in his remarks the long list of detainees who have traveled to Iran.
Malley also said on July 6 while participating in a virtual session on “Assisting Hostages Around the World,” addressing those intending to travel to Iran, “Do not put yourselves in danger.”
Malley said in that session that many dual-national citizens wish to travel to Iran or are currently in Iran, adding that people should be very cautious about traveling to Iran and stressed that anyone not in Iran should think carefully about traveling there, particularly American citizens. He said problems have also arisen for non-Americans traveling to Iran. Addressing those wishing to travel to Iran, he said “It is a beautiful country, family relations exist, but do not put yourselves in such danger.”
Many experts say that the Islamic Republic uses detained citizens who travel to Iran as leverage in negotiations and that citizens should be cautious about traveling to Iran. Several individuals detained in Iran were even invited to the country by Islamic Republic officials.
Source: Voice of America
