TEHRAN, Iran_After a federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's ban on Iranians traveling to the United States, Iran said Sunday that a U.S. wrestling team would be granted visas to compete at an international tournament this month.
The decision was aimed at de-escalating tensions with the Trump administration, which imposed new sanctions after Iran conducted a ballistic missile test last weekend.
Iranian news agencies reported Friday that Americans would be denied visas to compete in the Freestyle World Cup Feb. 16-17 in Kermanshah, a cradle of traditional wrestling in western Iran.
But Bahram Ghasemi, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, said Sunday that the American team would be granted visas in part because of the decision by a U.S. federal judge to "halt the execution of discriminatory restrictions against the entrance of Iranian citizens to America," the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The decision Friday by U.S. District Judge James Robart temporarily lifted Trump's ban against refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations � Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Two Iranian archers were among those denied visas to the U.S. to participate in a tournament in Las Vegas that begins Friday.
Early Sunday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Trump administration's request to reinstate the travel ban immediately and asked both sides to file arguments by Monday.
Iran and the United States have had a close relationship when it comes to wrestling, which is very popular in the Islamic republic. American wrestlers have attended Iran-hosted meets more than 15 times over the past three decades.
The foreign ministry did not say whether other Americans holding valid visas would be allowed to enter Iran. Iranian officials had previously said they would "take reciprocal measures" against American nationals in response to Trump's visa ban.
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(Mostaghim is a special correspondent. Bengali reported from Mumbai, India.)
