Iran has refused visas for US athletes due to compete in an international wrestling tournament, in response to President Donald Trump’s travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries.
“Considering the policies adopted by the new US administration, the foreign ministry was inevitably forced to refuse travel by the US wrestling team to Iran,” Bahram Ghasemi, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said at a special committee that reviewed the case on Friday.
The team was due to take part in the event in western Iran from February 16-17.
The denial comes after Iran announced that it would take reciprocal measures toward US citizens following President Trump’s ban to nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, to the United States.
The US wrestling team has been in Iran for tournaments 15 times since the Iranian Revolution, and said on Friday it had not been officially notified its wrestlers would be denied entry into Iran for the competition that starts on the 16th of February.
“If these reports are true, USA Wrestling is extremely disappointed about this,” the organization said in a statement. “Wrestling is about competition and goodwill through sport, and is no place for politics.”
The move also comes as a timely response to the sanctions enacted by the Trump administration after the country’s test launch of a ballistic missile last weekend.
