The recent travel ban and fresh round of sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump on Tehran have dealt a heavy blow to many Iranians and caused widespread anger in the country.
Iranians are reportedly the most affected group by the ban.
With an estimated one million Iranian-Americans currently living in the US and many Iranian families having relatives or friends working there, Trump's controversial move has made reunions of these families impossible.
No exceptions seem to be in place, not even academics. Ansiyeh Salehi, a 30-year-old PhD candidate in the department of international politics of University of Tehran, is one of countless people affected by the travel restrictions.
Ansiyeh Salehi is an Iranian PhD candidate whose dreams to pursue studies in the US have been dashed after President Donald Trump's travel ban. /CCTV Photo
She said that Trump’s executive order was an unexpected twist, which has put obstacles in the way of her plans to study abroad.
In the past two years, she has been preparing for her doctoral studies in the US, but the ban has dampened her outlook for a new life in the US.
"Before (the travel ban) I had a lot of plans. I was preparing to study in the US and eventually get a degree. I also intended to continue with a post-doctoral position and stay and work in the US. But now all my plans and dreams have been shattered," said Salehi.
Ansiyeh Salehi is now forced to look for doctoral programs in other countries after her student visa to the US was rejected following President Donald Trump's travel ban. /CCTV Photo
So now she has to bite the bullet and apply elsewhere – Europe perhaps.
“Two years ago I wanted to apply to universities in the US. At the time, the nuclear talks were taking place, and after difficult negotiations, a deal was finally struck. I never thought one day we will face such a problem. Student visas are meant for ordinary people," she said.
There are legitimate fears that the ban would label Iranians as terrorists, and skeptics believe that the US government will not end its “hostility” towards Iran.
"Iranians have never been terrorists," says Amir, an Iranian engineer, as he commented on US President Donald Trumps entry ban. /CCTV Photo
"Iranians have never been terrorists. Iran has only been defending its own interests. Everyone knows which countries and forces support terrorists,” said Amir, an Iranian engineer.
“Some countries call us terrorists because we fight against their hegemony. Those hegemonic powers want other countries to bow to them, but our people refuse to surrender. For us, it makes no difference whether Obama, Bush or Trump is in power. It is a consistent US policy to remain hostile towards us," he added.
Trump’s anti-immigration move, which was branded as a “Muslim ban,” drew public ire and triggered protests in big cities and major airports across the US, as many saw the ban as a deviation from long standing immigrants-friendly policies in the US.
Late on Thursday, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the suspension of Trump’s executive order should remain in place after hearing the case of the states of Minnesota and Washington against the ban and arguments in support of it by the Department of Justice.
(With inputs from CCTV Mandarin)
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