From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Iran sanctions Trump for Soleimani killing, support of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleTEHRAN, Iran — Iran imposes sanctions on US President Donald Trump and a number of members of his administration over their alleged role in support of “terrorism,” according to its foreign ministry website.
Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh says that besides Trump, sanctions are imposed on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, CIA chief Gina Haspel and six other ranking US officials.
The foreign ministry doesn’t say what kind of sanctions were imposed.
From time to time, Iran imposes symbolic sanctions on US officials. Today’s announcement comes on Trump’s last full day in office.
Khatibzadeh says the sanctions were based on Iranian law. He says they are the result in part of the administration’s role in killing Iranian top general Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and its support for Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians.
He also cites the US’s alleged role in the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in December, as well as its alleged role in the “criminal war” in Yemen.
In December, Iran imposed sanctions on the US ambassador in Yemen for his alleged role in support of airstrikes conducted by the Saudi-led coalition against Iran-backed Yemeni rebels known as Houthis.
The Times of Israel Community.