Trump’s Visa Ban Is a Gift to Extremists: Iranian FM

“Muslim Ban shows baselessness of US claims of friendship with the Iranian people while only having issues with the government,” Zarif said in a series of posts in his Twitter account in reaction to the visa ban introduced by Trump.

“Collective discrimination aids terrorist recruitment by deepening fault-lines exploited by extremist demagogues to swell their ranks,” he added.

He noted that Iran will be taking suitable reciprocal actions to protect its citizens, while respecting US citizens and differentiating between them and Washington’s hostile policies.

“Unlike the US, our decision is not retroactive. All with valid Iranian visa will be gladly welcomed,” he added.

He also stressed that the international community requires more dialogue and cooperation in order to cut the roots of violence and extremism in a comprehensive manner.

In a move which sparked widespread censure, US President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on Friday to suspend refugee arrivals and impose tough controls on travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.