Iran condemns ‘racist mentality' behind US president's travel ban
Iran has sharply criticised United States President Donald Trump's travel ban on its nationals and those of several countries, calling it 'racist' and a sign of deep-rooted hostility towards Iranians and Muslims.
Trump earlier this week signed an executive order that bars and restricts travellers from 19 countries, including several African and Middle Eastern nations. The policy, set to take effect on Monday, echoes measures introduced during Trump's previous term in office from 2017-2021. In the executive order, Trump said he 'must act to protect the national security' of the US.
Alireza Hashemi-Raja, who heads the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' department for Iranians abroad, said on Saturday that the decision reveals 'the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers'.
'This measure indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian and Muslim people,' he said in a statement. The latest restrictions cover nationals from Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. A limited ban has also been applied to travellers from seven other countries. (Agencies)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump deploys troops to Los Angeles to quell protests against ICE raids
United States President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to the city of Los Angeles, where a continued immigration crackdown has led to protests and clashes between authorities and demonstrators. The White House said in a statement on Saturday that Trump was deploying the Guardsmen to 'address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester' in California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, objected to the move and said in a post on X that the move from the Republican president was 'purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions'. More soon…
Qatar Tribune
6 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
AESC pauses $1.6 bn SC battery plant amid ‘uncertainty'
Agencies A Japanese company has halted construction on a $1.6 billion factory in South Carolina to help make batteries for electric BMWs, citing 'policy and market uncertainty.' While AESC didn't specify what those problems are, South Carolina's Republican governor said the company is dealing with the potential loss of federal tax breaks for electric vehicle buyers and incentives for EV businesses as well as tariff uncertainties from President Donald Trump's administration. 'What we're doing is urging caution — let things play out because all of the these changes are taking place,' Gov. Henry McMaster said. AESC announced the suspension in construction of its plant in Florence on Thursday, 'Due to policy and market uncertainty, we are pausing construction at our South Carolina facility at this time,' the company's statement said. AESC promised to restart construction, although it didn't say when, and vowed to meet its commitment to hire 1,600 workers and invest $1.6 billion. The company said it has already invested $1 billion in the Florence plant. The battery maker based in Japan also has facilities in China, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany. In the U.S., AESC has a plant in Tennessee and is building one in Kentucky. The statement didn't mention any changes with other plants. The South Carolina plant is supposed to sell battery cells to BMW, which is building its own battery assembly site near its giant auto plant in Greer. BMW said the construction pause by AESC doesn't change its plans to open its plant in 2026. AESC has already rolled back its South Carolina plans. They announced a second factory on the Florence site, but then said earlier this year that their first plant should be able to handle BMW's demand. That prompted South Carolina officials to withdraw $111 million in help they planned to provide. The company is still getting $135 million in grants from the South Carolina Department of Commerce and $121 million in bonds and the agency said a construction pause won't prompt them to claw back that offer. South Carolina is investing heavily in electric vehicles. Volkswagen-owned Scout Motors plans to invest more than $4 billion and hire 10,000 people for a plant to build its new electric SUVs scheduled to open in 2027. The state has for decades made big bets on foreign manufacturers like BMW, Michelin and Samsung that have paid off with an economic boom this century, but there is uneasiness that Trump's flirtation with high tariffs might stagger or even ruin those important partnerships.
Qatar Tribune
6 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
President Trump warns Musk of ‘serious consequences' if he funds Democrats
Agencies Washington United States President Donald Trump has warned billionaire former ally Elon Musk against funding Democratic candidates in the country's 2026 midterm elections as the pair's volcanic break-up continued to play out on the world stage. 'He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,' Trump told US network NBC News in an interview published on Saturday, without spelling out what the repercussions might be for the tech mogul, whose businesses benefit from lucrative US federal contracts. Trump aides, various Republicans, and key wealthy donors to the GOP have urged the two to temper the bitter feud and make peace, fearing irreparable political and economic fallout. But, asked whether he thought his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump said, 'I would assume so, yeah'. The interview featured Trump's most extensive comments yet on the spectacular bust-up that saw Musk criticising his signature tax and spending bill as an 'abomination', tensions escalating after he went on to highlight one-time links between the president and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. By Saturday morning, Musk had deleted his 'big bomb' allegation that Trump featured in unreleased government files on former associates of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019. The Trump administration has acknowledged it is reviewing tens of thousands of documents, videos, and investigative material that his 'MAGA' movement says will unmask public figures complicit in Epstein's crimes. Trump was named in a trove of deposition and statements linked to Epstein that were unsealed by a New York judge in early 2024. The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but he had a long and well-publicised friendship with Epstein. Just last week, Trump had given Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Vice President JD Vance said Musk was making a 'huge mistake' going after Trump, though he also tried to downplay his attacks as the frustrations of an 'emotional guy'.
