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It fills me with a deep sorrow knowing that I will never be able to visit Iran as an American. I don't know if it's just the "forbidden fruit" aspect of it or n

It fills me with a deep sorrow knowing that I will never be able to visit Iran as an American. I don't know if it's just the "forbidden fruit" aspect of it or not, but it's my number one bucket list destination.

werber 5y ago
I'm not sure what your situation is but I know Americans that have gone through an intermediate country
- ramesh31 5y ago
  >I'm not sure what your situation is but I know Americans that have gone through an intermediate country It's possible, sure. But the risk of arbitrary detention would make it impossible to enjoy. The state department currently lists Iran as "Level 4: Do not travel", and suggests you have a will in order if you do [0]. There was a brief moment towards the end of the Obama era where it seemed things may have been thawing, but with the Soleimani assassination I don't have much hope for the future in that regard. [0] https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iran-travel-advisory.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/...
  - brudgers 5y ago
    You should have a will even if you stay home. And a living will in case you are vegetating and the plug needs to be pulled. Most people in Iran know there are a bunch of assholes running things there just like there are here. Daily life for most people there consists mostly of mundane things like colored pencils. Travel requires treating irrational fears as irrational. If you want to go, you can find a way. Your life will be different afterwards because that's what any travel does. The ways in which people change from travel is why Americans have been banned from Cuba for sixty years and Iran for forty.
  - notsureaboutpg 5y ago
    We call it arbitrary detention, but the reason they detain US citizens is frankly because the US is constantly assassinating Iranians (remember the scientist who was killed by a drone recently?) and they have no way of knowing who is a legit tourist and who has been sent by the US to spy on them and kill another of their citizens.
- siva7 5y ago
  iran - and many other countries in the world - could take you happily as a hostage if your government is considered an enemy.
  - parhamn 5y ago
    Statistically speaking insanely improbable. ~5m people and thousands of Americans visit Iran every year. Unless you're a anti-govt journalist or intelligence related you have nothing to worry about. N.B. the argument that Iran will falsely label you a 'spy' feels weak to me given the order of magnitude of such detentions in recent history is in the tens. It would be equally improbably that most of these detentions were false positives as plenty of foreign intelligence operations happen in any country. Especially given the amount of foreign-intelligence related sabotage in recent Iranian history.
    - ranicki 5y ago
      There's this person: https://behdadesfahbod.medium.com/if-you-read-one-thing-from-me-please-be-this-2262ec7b8af2 https://behdadesfahbod.medium.com/if-you-read-one-thing-from... Extremely respected engineer both in Iran and America, ran tech initiatives for youths in Iran, a key figure in international text rendering. No political activity, but he got arrested and coerced anyway because the Iranian government wanted to force him to become a spy. He managed to escape, but it ruined his life and career.
    - siva7 5y ago
      of those visitors there will hardly be many at which your country is basically at war which is the case for americans. i can freely travel to iran but i wouldn't recommend it to an american.
jacquesm 5y ago
So much for freedom, right? After all, the US has a very loud voice on all things freedom related but when it comes to the rights of its own citizens to do as they please the degree of freedom appears to be lower than that of many states that have lesser profile in the freedom department. Countries should not limit their citizens freedoms on the basis of politics, that's no different than the various dictatorships that want to keep their people in (and the foreigners out), it's just a matter of degree. Whether it is safe - or wise - to do so is another matter.
- whatshisface 5y ago
  US citizens are allowed to go to Iran. The state department has issued a travel advisory, but it was issued on the basis of kidnappings and arbitrary arrests of U.S. citizens. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iran-travel-advisory.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/...
  - notsureaboutpg 5y ago
    US Citizens are allowed to go, but Iran will not grant visas to US Citizens easily because the US and its greatest ally Israel have been participating in assassinations of Iranian non-combatant citizens and lots of espionage in that country for decades for a reason most Americans could not even tell you. I'm just saying, the US has restricted its own people's ability to visit that part of the world because of the actions it has engaged in.
enriquto 5y ago
don't say never. Until forty years ago you could have visited the country without problem. Maybe in a few years you will be able to, again. International politics is cruel, unpredictable and complex, but also fast paced. You can also acquire a different nationality and travel under your new passport.
rmason 5y ago
I feel the same way about Cuba. My Uncle worked there as a banker and almost my entire family visited him there at one time or another. I asked him once when it opened up again why he hadn't gone back. He said the trips are forced tours and that he wouldn't be free to get a car and revisit the haunts of his youth. I made up my mind that I wouldn't visit Cuba until the communists were gone. I was pretty confident after Castro the government would fall. Now I am not so sure.
- hellbannedguy 5y ago
  I wouldn't be suprised if the military rebelled within a few days.
- kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
  Direct flights to Cuba have been available since 2016. You can go whenever you want minus any pending revolution.
- selimthegrim 5y ago
  Half of Miami seems to be pretty sure atm.
2dvisio 5y ago
Lots of people from USA are visiting Iran. We travel to Shiraz regularly and even during the previous presidency we have witnessed planes full of Americans travelling there. It was quite hopeful for all as it demonstrated USA is not a narrow minded bunch… quite the opposite!
- anonAndOn 5y ago
  >planes full of Americans travelling there Unlike the rest of the world, Americans can only visit with organized tours.[0] [0]Unless you've got some Persian relatives you're visiting.
  - OJFord 5y ago
    Is that an Iranian sanction on the USA, or US law (hoping to make it easier to spot unwanted behaviour or something)?
    - anonAndOn 5y ago
      It's Iran's requirement.[0] [0]https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Iran.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-tra...
emmelaich 5y ago
I want to visit too and I know why - the history and culture. Unfortunately like many middle-east countries the government is not representative of the people.
- notsureaboutpg 5y ago
  Even the US government isn't representative of the people, unless the people changed from a TV game show host who reviles career politicians to a career politician. The Iranian government isn't as bad as the West makes it seem. And for countries that suffer international sanctions, whatever conservative practices the government may have are not high on the list of things the citizens of that country care about.
IG_Semmelweiss 5y ago
I think your fear is misguided. You may never see Iran...but not because you are an American. Instead, it is because Iran is a ticking time bomb. Once the country opens back up, and it will open back up - you have to question whether there will be anything left to see. Civil war is a nasty thing. See: Syria. I recommend you visit now before its too late.
- pm90 5y ago
  Why is it certain that opening up Iran would lead to Civil war? When I read your first paragraph I assumed you were referring to these mom and pop kinda shops going out of business once the economy develops, replacing them with cookie cutter malls or online retail.
  - hn_go_brrrrr 5y ago
    I believe he's saying the opposite -- it will open back up after the civil war.
  - IG_Semmelweiss 5y ago
    sorry i may not have expressed my thoughts correctly. Repression tends to lead to explosive results in the shape of civil war. See arab spring, syria, etc. I don't think it has much to business (insofar tourism is concerned), but more about tourist sites being potentially destroyed.
- kumarvvr 5y ago
  > Iran is a ticking time bomb I don't think so. Sure, its a dictatorship and flawed in many ways, but that doesn't mean the people are not happy. Society will bear some amount of constant pressure, to a certain degree. If that pressure progresses into a puncture, society will rupture. So far, Iran doesn't seem to be in that situation. Iran has been in its current state since 1979. That is 40 whole years. And we have not seen any major shifts in their society. It looks stronger than ever, now that Iraq and Afghanistan (thanks to the trigger happy policy of America) are in the dumps, Iran is a strong and critical player.
amir734jj 5y ago
I am an Iranian-American (dual citizen) and I suggest you to NOT visit Iran. You may be subjected to arbitrary arrests. P.S. I haven't visited Iran since high school over 12 years ago and I miss my friends and family there so much.

werber 5y ago

I'm not sure what your situation is but I know Americans that have gone through an intermediate country

ramesh31 5y ago
>I'm not sure what your situation is but I know Americans that have gone through an intermediate country It's possible, sure. But the risk of arbitrary detention would make it impossible to enjoy. The state department currently lists Iran as "Level 4: Do not travel", and suggests you have a will in order if you do [0]. There was a brief moment towards the end of the Obama era where it seemed things may have been thawing, but with the Soleimani assassination I don't have much hope for the future in that regard. [0] https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iran-travel-advisory.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/...
- brudgers 5y ago
  You should have a will even if you stay home. And a living will in case you are vegetating and the plug needs to be pulled. Most people in Iran know there are a bunch of assholes running things there just like there are here. Daily life for most people there consists mostly of mundane things like colored pencils. Travel requires treating irrational fears as irrational. If you want to go, you can find a way. Your life will be different afterwards because that's what any travel does. The ways in which people change from travel is why Americans have been banned from Cuba for sixty years and Iran for forty.
- notsureaboutpg 5y ago
  We call it arbitrary detention, but the reason they detain US citizens is frankly because the US is constantly assassinating Iranians (remember the scientist who was killed by a drone recently?) and they have no way of knowing who is a legit tourist and who has been sent by the US to spy on them and kill another of their citizens.
siva7 5y ago
iran - and many other countries in the world - could take you happily as a hostage if your government is considered an enemy.
- parhamn 5y ago
  Statistically speaking insanely improbable. ~5m people and thousands of Americans visit Iran every year. Unless you're a anti-govt journalist or intelligence related you have nothing to worry about. N.B. the argument that Iran will falsely label you a 'spy' feels weak to me given the order of magnitude of such detentions in recent history is in the tens. It would be equally improbably that most of these detentions were false positives as plenty of foreign intelligence operations happen in any country. Especially given the amount of foreign-intelligence related sabotage in recent Iranian history.
  - ranicki 5y ago
    There's this person: https://behdadesfahbod.medium.com/if-you-read-one-thing-from-me-please-be-this-2262ec7b8af2 https://behdadesfahbod.medium.com/if-you-read-one-thing-from... Extremely respected engineer both in Iran and America, ran tech initiatives for youths in Iran, a key figure in international text rendering. No political activity, but he got arrested and coerced anyway because the Iranian government wanted to force him to become a spy. He managed to escape, but it ruined his life and career.
  - siva7 5y ago
    of those visitors there will hardly be many at which your country is basically at war which is the case for americans. i can freely travel to iran but i wouldn't recommend it to an american.

jacquesm 5y ago

So much for freedom, right? After all, the US has a very loud voice on all things freedom related but when it comes to the rights of its own citizens to do as they please the degree of freedom appears to be lower than that of many states that have lesser profile in the freedom department. Countries should not limit their citizens freedoms on the basis of politics, that's no different than the various dictatorships that want to keep their people in (and the foreigners out), it's just a matter of degree. Whether it is safe - or wise - to do so is another matter.

whatshisface 5y ago
US citizens are allowed to go to Iran. The state department has issued a travel advisory, but it was issued on the basis of kidnappings and arbitrary arrests of U.S. citizens. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iran-travel-advisory.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/...
- notsureaboutpg 5y ago
  US Citizens are allowed to go, but Iran will not grant visas to US Citizens easily because the US and its greatest ally Israel have been participating in assassinations of Iranian non-combatant citizens and lots of espionage in that country for decades for a reason most Americans could not even tell you. I'm just saying, the US has restricted its own people's ability to visit that part of the world because of the actions it has engaged in.

enriquto 5y ago

don't say never. Until forty years ago you could have visited the country without problem. Maybe in a few years you will be able to, again. International politics is cruel, unpredictable and complex, but also fast paced. You can also acquire a different nationality and travel under your new passport.

rmason 5y ago

I feel the same way about Cuba. My Uncle worked there as a banker and almost my entire family visited him there at one time or another. I asked him once when it opened up again why he hadn't gone back. He said the trips are forced tours and that he wouldn't be free to get a car and revisit the haunts of his youth. I made up my mind that I wouldn't visit Cuba until the communists were gone. I was pretty confident after Castro the government would fall. Now I am not so sure.

hellbannedguy 5y ago
I wouldn't be suprised if the military rebelled within a few days.
kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
Direct flights to Cuba have been available since 2016. You can go whenever you want minus any pending revolution.
selimthegrim 5y ago
Half of Miami seems to be pretty sure atm.

2dvisio 5y ago

Lots of people from USA are visiting Iran. We travel to Shiraz regularly and even during the previous presidency we have witnessed planes full of Americans travelling there. It was quite hopeful for all as it demonstrated USA is not a narrow minded bunch… quite the opposite!

anonAndOn 5y ago
>planes full of Americans travelling there Unlike the rest of the world, Americans can only visit with organized tours.[0] [0]Unless you've got some Persian relatives you're visiting.
- OJFord 5y ago
  Is that an Iranian sanction on the USA, or US law (hoping to make it easier to spot unwanted behaviour or something)?
  - anonAndOn 5y ago
    It's Iran's requirement.[0] [0]https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Iran.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-tra...

emmelaich 5y ago

I want to visit too and I know why - the history and culture. Unfortunately like many middle-east countries the government is not representative of the people.

notsureaboutpg 5y ago
Even the US government isn't representative of the people, unless the people changed from a TV game show host who reviles career politicians to a career politician. The Iranian government isn't as bad as the West makes it seem. And for countries that suffer international sanctions, whatever conservative practices the government may have are not high on the list of things the citizens of that country care about.

IG_Semmelweiss 5y ago

I think your fear is misguided. You may never see Iran...but not because you are an American. Instead, it is because Iran is a ticking time bomb. Once the country opens back up, and it will open back up - you have to question whether there will be anything left to see. Civil war is a nasty thing. See: Syria. I recommend you visit now before its too late.

pm90 5y ago
Why is it certain that opening up Iran would lead to Civil war? When I read your first paragraph I assumed you were referring to these mom and pop kinda shops going out of business once the economy develops, replacing them with cookie cutter malls or online retail.
- hn_go_brrrrr 5y ago
  I believe he's saying the opposite -- it will open back up after the civil war.
- IG_Semmelweiss 5y ago
  sorry i may not have expressed my thoughts correctly. Repression tends to lead to explosive results in the shape of civil war. See arab spring, syria, etc. I don't think it has much to business (insofar tourism is concerned), but more about tourist sites being potentially destroyed.
kumarvvr 5y ago
> Iran is a ticking time bomb I don't think so. Sure, its a dictatorship and flawed in many ways, but that doesn't mean the people are not happy. Society will bear some amount of constant pressure, to a certain degree. If that pressure progresses into a puncture, society will rupture. So far, Iran doesn't seem to be in that situation. Iran has been in its current state since 1979. That is 40 whole years. And we have not seen any major shifts in their society. It looks stronger than ever, now that Iraq and Afghanistan (thanks to the trigger happy policy of America) are in the dumps, Iran is a strong and critical player.

amir734jj 5y ago

I am an Iranian-American (dual citizen) and I suggest you to NOT visit Iran. You may be subjected to arbitrary arrests. P.S. I haven't visited Iran since high school over 12 years ago and I miss my friends and family there so much.