Tehran sanctions high-ranking US officials for their role in terrorism, anti-Iran measures

Tehran, Jan 19, IRNA – The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that Iran has sanctioned several US officials for having a role in the acts of terror and anti-human measures against Iran and Iranians. Saeed Khatibzadeh said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to sanction the US officials to implement the Majlis law of countering the US violation of human rights, adventurism, and acts of terror based on their acts of terror, expansion of and support for terrorism, which is a serious threat for the peace and security of the region and the world, and also for violation of the basic laws of human rights. The sanctioned list includes President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Acting US Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel, former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Iran Action Group and Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, Special Representative for Iran, and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Andrea Gacki, said Khatibzadeh. The aforementioned people have been put on the sanctions list based on reasons such as issuing the order and direction of the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani and organizing and supporting acts of terror against Iran; creating, financing, arming, and training terror groups; supporting the Zionist regime in the suppression of the Palestinians, as well as the Zionist regime's assassination of Iran’s prominent scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh; imposing oppressive, illegal, and unilateral sanctions against Iran and Iranian nationals; imposing a special life condition on Iranians through preventing them from having access to medicine, food, and medical equipment and services; supporting oppressive regimes of the region and their crimes against humanity that are taking place in Yemen; as well as actively backing the terror group MEK, and politically and culturally supporting the group that has committed innumerable crimes against Iran and the interests of its nationals. He said based on the principles of international law, imposing unilateral sanctions is a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law. Therefore, Iran reserves its right to take action against the internationally illegal measures of Washington. Khatibzadeh also said that the detailed statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the mentioned American officials will be published soon.