Iran Focus: London, Jun. 01 – The United States warned its citizens on Thursday not to travel to Iran. Iran Focus
London, Jun. 01 – The United States warned its citizens on Thursday not to travel to Iran.
The U.S. State Department said in a travel warning bulletin that dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in departing Iran.
Some elements of the Iranian regime and the population remain hostile to the United States. As a result, American citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while travelling or residing in Iran, the bulletin said.
Recently, Iranian authorities have prevented a number of Iranian-American citizen academics, journalists, and others who travelled to Iran for personal reasons from leaving, and in some cases have detained and imprisoned them on various charges, including espionage and being threat to the regime.
Americans of Iranian origin should consider the risk of being targeted by authorities before planning travel to Iran. Iranian authorities may deny dual nationals access to the United States Interests Section in Tehran, because they are considered to be solely Iranian citizens.
The Iranian regime continues to repress its minority ethnic and religious groups, including Azeris, Kurds, Bahai, ethnic Arabs, and others. Consequently, some areas within the country where these minorities reside, including the Baluchistan border area near Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Kurdish northwest of the country, and areas near the Iraqi border, remain unsafe.
Large-scale demonstrations have taken place in various regions throughout Iran over the past several years as a result of a sometimes volatile political climate. U.S. citizens who travel to Iran despite this Travel Warning should exercise caution, the State Department said.
