Iran Lifts Travel Ban On Ahmadinejad For Visiting Guatemala

Iranian security and intelligence agencies have lifted the travel ban on Iran's former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Guatemala, as reported by media in Tehran on Friday.

Security authorities at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran thwarted Ahmadinejad's trip to Guatemala, seizing his passport and giving him a travel ban.

Stopped by IRGC intelligence officers, Ahmadinejad was traveling to a scientific and research symposium on water resource management, as a guest of the government and the University of Guatemala.

Ahmadinejad is a populist politician who was highly controversial during his presidency with his extremist views on Israel and refusal to cooperate with the international community to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear program. However, since 2017, he has turned into a critic of some policies pursued by the Islamic Republic. At times, he has even criticized Iran’s ruler Ali Khamenei.

Late Thursday, the semi-official ISNA website reported that the travel ban was lifted after Ahmadinejad accepted “security and political” responsibility for the trip. This could be referring to possible pledges made by the former president to the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence organization regarding his conduct during the trip.

Saberin News channel also reported on Thursday evening, citing "informed sources," that "after his commitment to accepting political and security considerations and the possible consequences of this trip for him, relevant authorities have agreed to it."

Media close to the government had claimed that instability in Guatemala, the lack of an Iranian embassy and “strong Israeli influence” in the country were reasons behind the initial travel ban.