Washington, Reuters, 29 JAN 2016 – U.S. citizens traveling to Iran risk arrest and detention in the Islamic republic, the U.S. State Department said in a travel warning on Friday.
The notice, which largely echoes an August warning, was issued days after five Americans, including four dual Iranian nationals, were released by Iran in a prisoner swap coinciding with the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran as the implementation of a deal to curb its nuclear program began.
The warning aims to “reiterate and highlight the risk of arrest and detention of U.S. citizens, particularly dual national Iranian-Americans, in Iran,” the State Department said.
“Various elements in Iran remain hostile to the United States,” it said, adding that Iran has “continued to harass, arrest, and detain U.S. citizens, in particular dual nationals” since the nuclear deal was signed in July.