Iran Sanctions 61 Americans

The Iran government said it had imposed sanctions on 61 more Americans, including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, for backing an Iranian rebellious group.

Others blacklisted by Iran’s Foreign Ministry for voicing support for the exiled rebellious group Mujahideen-e-Khalq, MEK included former President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House national security adviser, John Bolton.

According to reports Giuliani, Pompeo, and Bolton have been widely reported to have taken part in MEK events and voiced support for the group.

In January Iran imposed sanctions on 51 Americans, and it blacklisted 24 more Americans in April in its latest sanctions moves.

The sanctions, issued against dozens of Americans in the past on various grounds, let Iranian authorities seize any assets they hold in Iran, but the apparent absence of such assets means the steps will likely be symbolic.

Nuclear Pact
Iran’s indirect talks with the United States on reviving the 2015 nuclear pact began in November in Vienna and continued in Qatar in June. But the negotiations have faced a months-long impasse.

In 2018, then-US President Trump abandoned the deal, calling it too soft on Iran, and reimposed harsh US sanctions, spurring Tehran to breach nuclear limits in the pact.

REUTERS/CO