Iran replies Trump’s travel ban by barring US wrestlers

Donald Trump’s executive order forbidding visas from seven Muslim-majority countries has elicited retaliation from the Iranian government which has banned the US wrestling team from participating in the Freestyle World Cup in Tehran later this month.

The USA wrestling team had said it would send a team to the Freestyle World Cup, one of the most prestigious competitions in international wrestling but Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said a special committee reviewed the case and “Eventually the visit by the U.S. freestyle wrestling team was opposed.”

Read also: Iran’s missile launch puts Trump in aggressive mood

Iran’s travel ban on US wrestlers comes a week after it said it would take retaliatory action following Trump’s executive order banning visas for seven Muslim countries including Iran.

Ghasemi said the policy of the new U.S. administration left Iran no other choice but to ban the wrestlers.

Trump lived up to one of his campaign promises when he signed an executive order banning Muslims from entering America.

The order also requires that travellers from the listed seven Muslim-majority countries will be singled out for “extreme vetting” as their social media activity and phone records will be scrutinised.

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now