ABU DHABI — Newlyweds have been torn apart after President Donald Trump signed an order banning refugees and citizens from seven countries from entering the United States.
Solmaz and Sohail met in Tehran and got married last January.
He’s Iranian-American and she’s Iranian.
They were in the final stages of getting her U.S. visa approved in Abu Dhabi when President Trump signed an executive order barring citizens of seven countries from entering the United States.
Solmaz didn’t hear about the ban until the very moment she landed in the United Arab Emirates.
“I got an email from the embassy that the interview was cancelled,” said Sohail Sobhani, a U.S. citizen.
Solmaz and Sohail were introduced through a mutual friend in Iran a year and a half ago.
“We went to a coffee place and sat down and we started talking. I met Solmaz. I haven’t felt these feelings in a very long time. I said… I’m gonna get that girl. This is it! So then I got her number, started texting, started talking and she was actually going to London to see her sister. We spent 8 days in London. What a great place to fall in love,” said Sohail.
The pair are stuck in limbo, waiting for guidance from the embassy.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. We’re trying to let some time go by so it can become a little more clear. I did respond to the email I received about the cancellation, anything I can do, any help, any guidance,” explained Sohail. “My company has been extremely supportive of whatever I need. For Solmaz, we¨re trying to figure out what the best thing to do is. I don’t see how she can go back to Iran at this point with her 5 suitcases.”
Sohail grew up in Lebanon County and lived in Harrisburg.
