Trump Revives Travel Ban, Targeting 12 Nations Including Iran And Afghanistan

U.S. President Donald Trump has revived one of the most contentious policies from his first term, announcing a sweeping travel ban on nationals from 12 countries, most of them Muslim-majority or conflict-ridden, sparking international condemnation and accusations of religious discrimination.

The ban, set to take effect from June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, includes Afghanistan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. An additional seven nations 바카라� Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela 바카라� face restricted entry under specific visa categories, including B-1, B-2, F, M and J visas.

In a video released on social media, Trump tied the ban to a recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, allegedly perpetrated by an Egyptian national who had overstayed a tourist visa, though Egypt is not on the list. The announcement comes amid a broader campaign to project strength on national security, as Trump repositions himself for a re-election bid.

바카라�Deep hostility바카라� and diplomatic fallout

Iran was among the first countries to denounce the move. A senior official from its Foreign Ministry stated on X that the ban 바카라�indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian people and Muslims바카라� and constitutes a violation of international law.

The new directive echoes Trump바카라�s controversial 바카라�Muslim ban바카라� from 2017, which initially barred travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries before being upheld in revised form by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. While Trump insists the measure is rooted in national security concerns, critics continue to see it as driven by religious and racial animus. During his first presidential campaign, Trump explicitly called for a 바카라�total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.바카라�

The Iranian government has not formally responded beyond the ministry바카라�s statement. Trump바카라�s proclamation exempts certain categories of Iranian nationals, such as religious minorities holding special immigrant visas, though most ordinary travellers are barred.

Afghanistan and Haiti

Afghanistan바카라�s inclusion has drawn sharp rebuke, particularly from veterans바카라� groups and refugee advocates in the U.S. 바카라�To include Afghanistan, a nation whose people stood alongside American service members for 20 years, is a moral disgrace,바카라� said an X post by Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, a volunteer-led civilian coalition aiding Afghan evacuees.

According to U.S. government figures, roughly 14,000 Afghan refugees were resettled in the U.S. in the year leading up to September 2024. The new ban, however, does provide exemptions for Afghans holding Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), often granted to former U.S. government allies.

Trump justified the move by citing Afghanistan바카라�s 바카라�lack of a competent or cooperative central authority바카라� and 바카라�inadequate screening and vetting measures.바카라�

Haiti, absent from Trump바카라�s earlier ban, is now included for similar reasons. 바카라�Haiti lacks a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information,바카라� Trump wrote, also pointing to high visa overstay rates and illegal entry. The Caribbean nation is currently reeling from political instability and widespread gang violence. According to the Associated Press, armed groups control over 85% of Port-au-Prince, its capital.

Legal cushions and exemptions

The ban applies only to foreign nationals outside the U.S. as of June 9 and without a valid visa. Those who already possess valid immigration or non-immigrant visas will not have them revoked. Exemptions include lawful permanent residents (green card holders), dual nationals using a passport from a non-restricted country, diplomats, Olympic athletes, and those with immediate family or adoption-related immigrant visas.

The order stems from an executive directive signed by Trump on January 20, instructing national security agencies to assess countries whose nationals may pose a threat to the United States. Critics argue that this risk-based framing lacks transparency and disproportionately targets vulnerable populations.

Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, condemned the ban, stating: 바카라�This policy is not about national security, it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States.바카라�

Political optics and legacy

Experts say the announcement is unlikely to provoke the kind of chaos seen in 2017, when Trump바카라�s initial executive order triggered mass detentions at airports and a flurry of legal battles. This time, the administration has offered a brief window before enforcement and seems emboldened by the Supreme Court바카라�s prior ruling in favour of a modified version of the travel ban.

But the political subtext remains charged. Many of the countries named 바카라� Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Iran 바카라� are not only Muslim-majority but also geopolitical adversaries or embroiled in long-running civil conflicts. Others, such as Venezuela and Haiti, have long-standing migration flows to the U.S. due to economic and political turmoil.

As the 2026 U.S. presidential race accelerates, the travel ban바카라�s reintroduction appears to be both policy and theatre, an effort to harden borders while signalling to Trump바카라�s base that the 바카라�America First바카라� doctrine still holds.