Tehran, Dec 26 (UNI/Sputnik) Iran is closing its land borders with the neighboring countries amid a rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Rohollah Latifi, the spokesman for Iran's Customs, said.
"According to the decision of the National Headquarters for Combating the Coronavirus and the Ministry of Interior, starting from today, foreign citizens are prohibited from entering Iran for 15 days," Latifi said on Saturday, as quoted by the Iranian Fars News Agency.
The spokesman specified that the travel restrictions concern Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Iraq.
Only those who have student, medical and working visas, and residency permits will be allowed to enter Iran, Latifi said.
The first case of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus was registered in Iran on December 19. On Saturday, the country’s health ministry reported more than 1,100 new cases of COVID-19.
UNI/SPUTNIK GNK