TEHRAN – Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s entry ban, saying it does not include the true sponsors of terrorism, Fars news agency reported.

Larijani made the remarks during a meeting late on Tuesday with visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

The parliament speaker’s remarks came days after Trump issued an executive order, banning citizens of Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days. Known as the Muslim ban, the move has sparked widespread protests across the world.

Other senior Iranian officials have also condemned Trump’s order as discriminatory.

President Rouhani reacted to the ban, calling Trump a “newcomer” who still has a lot to learn.

“He has been in a different world. It's a totally new environment to him,” Rouhani said, adding, “It will take him a long time and will cost the United States a lot, until he learns what is happening in the world.”

Also, Mohammad Javad Larijani, head of the Iranian High Council for Human Rights, said on Wednesday that Trump’s stances manifest some kind of racism.

“Trump’s stances during his presidency will be unstable and he won’t be able to interact with the world in this way,” Larijani said.

He also urged the government to produce a “clear” and “firm” response to Trump’s ban, underlining that responding in the same way will not be “attractive”.

MH/PA