US prone to retaliation with Iran visa law

The US has put itself at risk of retaliation through visa restrictions against Iran, approved by its congress in breach of a July nuclear accord.

European diplomats have warned of possible retribution against the United States over the new law which bars citizens of 38 countries mainly in Europe from using the US visa-free system if they travel to Iran.

On Wednesday, EU Ambassador to Washington David O’Sullivan described the law as “excessively rigid,” saying it would complicate the European Union’s planned review of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) next year.

“It is clear that to the extent that this new legislation creates new discriminatory treatment, then that will be part of that review process in April,” he told AFP in an interview.

About 20 million people each year travel to the United States without a visa for stays of less than 90 days, including about 13 million Europeans.

Some US lawmakers had sought to kill or amend the measure, expressing concerns that European nations would offer reciprocal treatment against US travelers.