Expert says U.S. visa reform law is step to impose new sanctions on Iran

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

The new U.S. legislation to tighten visa-free travel to the United States has caused deep concern in the Iranian society.

Iranian officials and experts voiced dissatisfaction saying approval of this legislation would deepen hostility between the two countries, which have been in feud for nearly 30 years.

They believe the full implementation of the new U.S. law on visa reform will violate the nuclear deal reached between Tehran and the six world powers in July for putting an end to the dispute over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

President Barack Obama signed into law a Congress visa waiver bill on December 19 that limits the possibility for many foreigners to travel visa-free to the U.S. The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of about 38 countries, mostly European, to travel to the U.S. for tourism, business, or while in transit for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa.

However, the recent amendment to the program, stipulated by the law, imposes restrictions on foreigners who intend to visit the U.S.. The legislation will ban many foreign nationals or those with dual citizenship, including thousands of Iranians having visited Iran, Syria, Iraq and Sudan over the past five years, from entering the U.S. without a visa.

Mohammad Reza Sabzalipour, the president of the World Trade Center Tehran, believes that the reason for such a legislation is monopolization and excessive interest of Americans in the Iranian market.

“The most important reason of approving sanction against Iran refers to excessive interest of Americans in the Iranian market, since establishment of a kind of monopoly for business activities of American investors in post-sanction age of Iran has been the only achievement of the new act of the House of Representatives,” he told AzerNews via email.

Sabzalipour noted that considering the untouched economy of Iran that attracts all economic active parties of the world and would result in great benefits for foreign investors, approval of this act creates a huge block against European and Asian and other investors.

On the other hand, the legislation creates an easy access for American active parties in economic fields to enter the great market of Iran without existence of any competitors, according to the economist.

He considered that approval of this act is a step toward imposing new sanctions on Iran under a different title and form.

Sabzalipour warned against consequences of the new act of the U.S. House of Representatives based on which some new limitations will be created for people of Iran and those who travel to Iran.

He said approval of such acts is kind of demonstration of hostility and is a step towards creating larger gap between the two nations.

“Paradox exists in the speech and activity of some American officials and it is considered as a double standard policy. For instance, on the one hand they mention creation of the U.S. virtual embassy for facilitating issuance of visa for the Iranians and easier travel of the people, and on the other hand, impose new limitation for Iranian nationals and people who travel to Iran,” the economist underscored.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wrote his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif to assure that the measure would not undermine international trade with Tehran.

“However, promise of Kerry will not solve problems in the Iranian economy and cannot make upthe mental impact of such act on minds of people of the world against Iran. While the new act is being executed against Iran, promise of Kerry to Zarif is useless and cannot remove fear of the foreigners and convince them to travel to Iran. And, what if in the next year, the new president of the United States and new Secretary of State have a different approach toward this act and don’t accept promise of Kerry to Zarif?” Sabzalipour said.

Zarif, for his part, warned that if the U.S. government uses its authority to apply the law, then Iran will need to review whether the JCPOA has been violated or not.

He voiced hope that the U.S. government and members of the House of Representatives and Senate revise their decision in executing the new act and stop it or at least exit name of Iran from this list, since definitely reaction of Iran and European and Asian, and other countries of the world to approval of this act would be controversial and it would be followed by some mutual limitations for Americans all over the world.

About 20 million people, including about 13 million Europeans each year travel to the United States without a visa for stays of less than 90 days.

Some U.S. lawmakers had sought to cease or amend the measure, expressing concerns that European nations would offer reciprocal treatment against U.S. travelers.