'Do not travel to Iran': State Dept warns Iranian-Americans the regime does not recognise dual nationality

The US State Department has issued a fresh advisory against travelling to Iran. Americans and Iranian-Americans in particular have been adviced not to travel to the country as it doesn’t recognise dual citizenship. The notice informs, ‘Americans, including Iranian-Americans and other dual-nationals, have been wrongfully detained—taken hostage—by the Iranian government for months, and years. The threat of detention is even greater today. Do not travel to Iran under any circumstances.’

In a briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, “The department is announcing a new awareness campaign warning Americans, especially Iranian Americans, about the continuing severe risks of travel to Iran. The Iranian regime does not recognise dual nationality and routinely denies consular services to detained US citizens. And while the bombing has stopped, that does not mean that it is safe to travel to Iran; it is not. We are also launching a new website dedicated to warning Americans against travel to Iran.”

The US had also issued a similar warning earlier in March, which highlighted kidnapping in Iran. The advisory mentioned, “Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens, and wrongful detention.”

“Do not travel to Iran for any reason. US citizens in Iran face serious dangers. They have been kidnapped and wrongfully arrested. Some have been held for years on false charges, subjected to psychological torture, and even sentenced to death. The US government does not have diplomatic or consular relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Swiss government, acting through its Embassy in Tehran, serves as the protecting power for United States interests in Iran,” it added.

This comes less than a month after US President Donald Trump had first attacked Iran and then brokered peace in its conflict with Israel.