Iran vows countermeasure against US visa ban

Iran on Wednesday said the country will counter the US visa ban against Iranians, a media report said.

"Our earlier countermeasure against Trump's order (to stop visa issuance for Iranians) is still in place," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi said, adding that "there is no need for a new decision", Xinhua news agency reported.

On January 27, Trump issued an executive order for a 90-day ban on the entry visa issuance for seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and north Africa -- Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya and Yemen. However, it was halted later by a federal court.

On January 31, Iran said that it had stopped granting visas to US citizens in response to Washington's travel ban.

On Monday, the White House revised the earlier executive order and signed a new order that excludes Iraqi citizens, but keeps the visa applicants from six other countries, still targeting Iranians. The order is to be put into effect on March 16.

--IANS

sm/vt