The ban, which starts on Monday, June 9, at 12:01am, will bar citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the United States.

Iran has strongly condemned the United States President, Donald Trump's travel ban on 12 countries, including the Islamic Republic, calling it a sign of "deep hostility" towards Iranians and Muslims. 

The ban, which starts on Monday, June 9, at 12:01am, will bar citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the United States.

Alireza Hashemi-Raja, a senior foreign ministry official, denounced the ban, stating it "indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian and Muslim people" and violates fundamental principles of international law.

Hashemi-Raja, a director general for the Department for Iranian Affairs Abroad at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, described the move as a clear manifestation of the dominance of a supremacist and racist mindset among American policymakers. 

In a statement Iran's Foreign Ministry issued on Saturday, which was published on its X handle, Hashemi-Raja added that the policy is discriminatory and would "entail international responsibility for the US government."

He asserted that the US government's decision to ban Iranian nationals, solely based on their religion and nationality, not only reflects deep-seated hostility toward the Iranian people and Muslims but also constitutes a violation of fundamental principles of international law, including the prohibition of discrimination and basic human rights. 

The Iranian diplomat further stated that depriving hundreds of millions of people of the right to travel to another country solely based on their nationality or religion is an example of racial discrimination and systemic racism within the American ruling establishment. 

He emphasised that the action contradicts international human rights norms and would lead to international accountability for the US government. 

Hashemi Raja called for explicit opposition from the United Nations and human rights organisations against unilateral policies that violate human rights norms by the US. 

He reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic of Iran would take all necessary measures to protect the rights of Iranian nationals against the consequences of the US government's discriminatory decision.

Meanwhile, the US government has justified the ban as a national security measure, citing countries with weak vetting protocols or high visa overstay rates.

Trump said the ban is necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists". 

This move is reminiscent of his previous travel ban during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, which targeted seven Muslim-majority nations.