TEHRAN, April 06 (MNA) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said that he is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and to restrict any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States.The reason for the move is the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner, Rubio said on social media, according to DW "I am taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and to restrict any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States, effective immediately, due to the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner," he wrote.

Rubio also said that the US would "prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders." However, Washington "will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation," Rubio added in a statement.

It was the first such measure to single out all passport holders from a particular country since Donald Trump, who campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, returned to the White House on January 20.

MA/PR