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Washington, DC – Iranian nationals and individuals travelling from Iran will no longer be automatically subjected to additional security measures when flying to the U.S. , according to an Obama Administration announcement today. The Administration is eliminating airport security procedures that were implemented this past January aimed at nationals of 14 countries, including Iran. Following the December 25 attempted bombing of an international jetliner en route to the United States, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) implemented an emergency airport security policy in which additional screening measures would be required for all U.S.-bound international flights. Nationals of 14 countries, including Iran, were automatically subjected to additional screening measures under the policy.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today that, while international flights will remain the target of enhanced screening efforts, a new “intelligence-based targeting” system is being implemented to replace the previous protocol. Under the new system, an individual’s nationality will no longer be an automatic basis for additional screening measures. Under the new protocol, if a passenger’s information matches information of a suspected individual, they will be subject to additional screening before they are allowed to fly to the U.S. The “intelligence-based targeting” criteria will be updated frequently, and if new intelligence removes the intended suspect from the list, subsequently all passengers with matching description will also be relieved of extra screening.
According to Associated Press, there are currently 6,000 individuals on the “no fly” list who are banned from traveling to the United States.
NIAC will keep the Iranian-American community informed about future updates on this matter. |
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