Trump’s ban on Muslims entry will harm US: Iran

A senior Iranian official has criticized a controversial decision by the new US government to block entry into the country from Iran and six other Muslim states, saying such moves would be detrimental to Washington.

“If Iranians travel to a country, their dignity must be respected and such moves will undoubtedly be harmful to the future of the US,” Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs, told reporters on Sunday following a meeting with the special representative of the United Nations secretary general for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, in Tehran.

“Iranians have always lived with dignity and do not need [US President Donald] Trump or any other person from the government of the United States of America to give them permission to enter or not,” the senior Iranian official said.

Velayati added that Iranians are proud of the fact that they do not need to be endorsed by “unbalanced” individuals such as Trump.

Trump’s executive order, issued on January 27, blocked entry into the United States for 90 days for citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It also suspended entry of all refugees for 120 days and barred Syrian refugees indefinitely.