• Iran condemns the US travel ban, citing a 'racist mentality.'
• Alireza Hashemi-Raja describes the ban as discriminatory and hostile.
• Nationals from 12 countries, including Iran, are affected by these restrictions.
• The ban revives previous travel restrictions linked to national security concerns.

Iran has sharply condemned the US travel ban on its nationals and others from mostly Middle Eastern and African countries, labeling it as a manifestation of a “racist mentality.” The ban, signed by US President Donald Trump, is set to take effect on June 9, and Alireza Hashemi-Raja, the director general for foreign affairs of Iranians abroad, emphasized that this measure reflects a supremacist mindset among American policymakers, indicating a deep hostility toward Iranian and Muslim people, according to Channel News Asia and TRT Global.

The latest executive order reinstates travel restrictions on citizens from Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Hashemi-Raja criticized the policy, asserting it violates fundamental principles of international law by depriving millions of the right to travel purely based on nationality or religion, as reported by Al Jazeera and Dawn.

The foreign ministry's official statements reiterated that the ban was not only discriminatory but would also entail international responsibility for the US government, without further elaboration. Iran and the US have maintained strained relations since diplomatic ties were severed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a sentiment echoed by reports of around 1.5 million Iranians living in the US as of 2020, according to India Times and Reuters.

The ban's announcement follows a recent firebomb attack at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado, which Trump justified as necessary for national security. This situation has further exacerbated tensions, as Iranian officials view the restrictions as an ongoing pattern of American aggression towards Muslim communities, according to Dawn and Al Jazeera.