Zarif: Trump's travel ban plan is 'blind hostility' towards all Iranians
Iran's Foreign Minister called the implementation of parts of the order temporarily banning citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States "shameful."
"In a truly shameful display of blind hostility towards all Iranians, the United States is now obstructing Iranian grandmothers from meeting their grandchildren," Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Friday, according to AFP.
The temporary ban, which went into effect in the early hours of Friday morning GMT, bars citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days, unless the applicant has some kind of "valid connection" to the United States.
The Trump administration on Wednesday set new rules for issuing U.S. visas to citizens of the six countries and all asylum seekers. Under the new rules, applicants can apply for visas if they have a “close” relative or business relationship with the United States.
According to the Associated Press, this action comes after the US Supreme Court ordered the implementation of part of Donald Trump's widely criticized executive order.
Under the new legislation, applicants from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran, and Yemen will be eligible if their parents, spouses, children, adult daughters or sons, or spouses are residents of the United States.
The new US government resolution will not include grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, nieces and nephews, and other second-degree relatives.
Mohammad Javad Zarif had previously called the ban "disheartening" on Tuesday, July 26, and described it as "inappropriate and in the wrong direction."
He also added that the ban is "baseless and does not help the fight against terrorism."
The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized: "Unfortunately, such a ban does not increase anyone's security, and the unfortunate thing is that none of the citizens of the countries whose names are on the list of this ban have ever participated in any terrorist operations against the United States."
The United States Supreme Court announced on July 25 that it would enforce parts of the order temporarily banning the entry of nationals of six predominantly Muslim countries and refugees into the country.
More than one million people in the United States are of Iranian origin, and the Trump administration's proposed visa ban over the past few months has caused concern among many families.
Many Iranian-Americans have shown their opposition to this plan by creating a hashtag called #GrandparentsNotTerrorists on Twitter.
Source: Radio Farda
