Iran has strongly criticised US President Donald Trump’s new executive order restricting travel from 19 countries, including Iran, calling the move “racist” and evidence of deep-seated hostility toward Muslims and Iranians.

The policy, announced earlier this week and set to take effect Monday, mirrors similar measures from Trump’s previous term. Trump defended the order as necessary for national security, according to Al Jazeera.

Senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official Alireza Hashemi-Raja denounced the action as discriminatory and against international standards. He cautioned that the United States might face international legal repercussions.

The ban affects countries across Africa and the Middle East, with limited restrictions applied to several others. Despite tensions, the US hosts the largest Iranian diaspora, with about 1.5m Iranians residing there, Al Jazeera reported.