The Trump administration announced on Wednesday a halt on immigrant visa processing for 75 nations, including Russia and Iran, amidst escalating tensions and the president’s warnings of potential military action against Iran’s leadership. An internal memo from the State Department instructed consular officers to withhold visas as the agency reassesses its applicant screening and vetting strategies. Among the nations affected by this freeze are Iraq, Nigeria, Brazil, Afghanistan, Somalia, Thailand, Yemen, and Pakistan.

This suspension follows President Trump’s consideration of military responses to recent widespread protests against Iran’s Islamic regime. The State Department plans to enforce this indefinite visa freeze starting January 21. Additionally, the memo advises consular officers to reject visa applicants likely to rely on public assistance upon entering the U.S. Officers are also directed to evaluate candidates based on various criteria, including health, age, and English language skills.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott stated, “The State Department will exercise its established authority to deem potential immigrants ineligible if they are likely to become a public charge in the U.S. and exploit American generosity.” He added, “Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused as we reassess our immigration procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would depend on welfare and public benefits.” Although the State Department will allow some exceptions for visa applications during this pause, these will be “very limited.”

The President last night warned that if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei goes forward with hangings on Wednesday, he will take ‘strong action.’ Trump is said to have been briefed in recent days about his options, including strikes on nonmilitary sites in Tehran. On June 13 last year, hours after Israellaunched its attack on Iranian nuclear and missile sites, the Wing of Zion took off from Ben Gurion Airport. Desperate families of relatives who have been persecuted by the Iranian regime amid the uprising have called on Trump to intervene.

Already, a bloody security force crackdown on the protests has killed at least 2,571, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported. Trump told CBS News: ‘If they [Iran] hang them, you’re going to see something’. But Iran ignored the US President’s threats and vowed to fast-track executions after detaining 18,000 protesters as the regime continues its brutal crackdown on anti-government riots.

The head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, signalled Wednesday that there would be fast trials and executions ahead for those detained, saying: ‘If a person burned someone, beheaded someone and set them on fire then we must do our work quickly.’ The US ordered the evacuation of air bases in the region, including an unspecified number from a site in Qatar by Wednesday evening. Al Udeid, the largest American base in the Middle East, houses 10,000 troops and was targeted by Iran in June in retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear facilities.