“Muslim Ban will be recorded in history as a great gift to extremists and their supporters,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday in reaction to an executive order signed by the US president Donald Trump which suspends refugee arrivals and imposes tough controls on travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
“Collective discrimination aids terrorist recruitment by deepening fault-lines exploited by extremist demagogues to swell their ranks,” Zarif stressed.
He went on to add, “international community needs dialogue and cooperation to address the roots of violence and extremism in a comprehensive and inclusive manner.”
“Muslim Ban shows baselessness of the US claims of friendship with the Iranian people while only having issues with the Government,” he said.
Zarif then posted the full statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Muslim Ban which emphasizes that the restrictions have been unconstitutional and insulting to Iranian nationals and as long as the US maintains the restrictions, Iran will respond by reciprocal action on restricting US citizens applying for visas to visit Iran.
“While respecting Americans and differentiating between them and hostile US policies, Iran will take reciprocal measures to protect citizens,” Zarif concluded, adding “unlike the US, our decision is not retroactive. All with valid Iranian visa will be gladly welcomed.”
MS/3890327
Your Comment