Iranian Minister of Heritage and Tourism Ezzatollah Zarghami announced on Wednesday that the Council of Ministers had approved the ministry’s proposal to unilaterally cancel entry visas for citizens of 33 countries.
The countries are India, Russia, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Indonesia, as well as Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia and Belarus.
Zarghami, in a discussion with journalists following a cabinet meeting, expressed that this step is intended to enhance the inflow of tourists and draw in more visitors globally, countering the negative perceptions of Iran.
This new policy also encompasses citizens from Serbia and Croatia. This follows Iran’s previous visa exemption arrangements for tourists from several countries, including Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.
The latest data reveals a significant increase in foreign visitors to Iran, recording 4.4 million arrivals in the first eight months of the current Iranian year (starting March 21), marking a 48.5% rise compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud jointly advocated for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the swift delivery of crucial humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered region.
The two diplomats, meeting against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict, expressed contentment with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.
They also conveyed enthusiasm for further expanding cooperation across various domains, as outlined in a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website.
Highlighting the gradual progress in bilateral ties, Amir-Abdollahian expressed Iran’s readiness to enhance relations with Saudi Arabia, particularly in economic and trade sectors.
