Can a US citizen visit a comprehensively sanctioned country as a tourist?

No — tourist travel by U.S. persons to Cuba is not authorized under any OFAC general license. The Cuban Assets Control Regulations (31 CFR Part 515 authorize only 12 specific travel categories under § 515.560, including family visits, journalistic activity, professional research, and support for the Cuban people; the Helms-Burton Act (22 U.S.C. § 6032(a) explicitly bars tourist travel as a category. Travelers must self-certify their qualifying category and retain records for five years. Travel to North Korea is separately restricted through a U.S. passport validation requirement administered by the State Department (22 CFR § 51.63), independent of OFAC. Iran is different: the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 560) do not bar personal travel itself, but spending during the trip must stay within an authorized remittance category and cannot involve SDN-designated banks or entities. These rules apply differently across countries depending on the applicable U.S. sanctions and travel restrictions.