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The United States has moved to shut its doors to senior Iranian officials and their families, signaling a tougher stance against Tehran’s leadership as protests and human rights concerns continue to simmer inside Iran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the ban this week, the State Department confirmed Thursday, saying those tied to Iran’s ruling elite should no longer enjoy the privilege of being in the United States.
“As the people of Iran continue to fight for their basic rights, we are taking action,” the State Department said in a post on X. Officials accused Iran’s leadership of benefiting from repression at home while taking advantage of life abroad.
The message was blunt: anyone profiting from what Washington calls Iran’s “brutal oppression” is no longer welcome in the US immigration system.
Exactly who will be affected and when the new restrictions will take effect remain unclear. No list of names has been released, and the State Department has not provided a start date for the measure.
Still, the political signal was unmistakable. Trump administration UN Ambassador Mike Waltz praised the move, saying the families of Iran’s ruling elite have long lived comfortably in the US while ordinary Iranians suffer back home. “Not anymore,” he wrote.
Advocacy groups also welcomed the decision. Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, said the ban is a step his organization has pushed for years, arguing it targets regime insiders rather than ordinary citizens.
The move adds to mounting US pressure on Iran at a time when relations between the two countries remain deeply strained, with Washington increasingly framing its actions as support for the Iranian people rather than punishment of the population at large.
