Iran sanctions US officials embroiled in Soleimani assassination

Iran's Foreign Ministry released a statement announcing its imposition of sanctions against US officials implicated in the assassination of the former commander of the Quds Force, Martyr Qassem Soleimani,  in accordance with the “Act on Countering Violations of Human Rights and Adventurist and Terrorist Actions of the United States of America in the Region”.

The list includes Former US President Donald Trump, former State Secretary Michael Pompeo, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former CIA chief Gina Haspel, former Undersecretary for Defense Christopher Miller, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, US ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller, Deputy Chief of the US mission to Iraq, Steven Fagin and former US Consul General in Erbil Rob Waller.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the aforementioned "have taken part in decision-making, organizing, financing, and carrying out the terrorist act or have otherwise justified terrorism which is a threat to international peace and security through supporting such egregious terrorist attacks."

The Foreign Ministry also added that the US' terrorist act "will not in any manner diminish the resolute determination and resolve of the Islamic Republic of Iran in following the path of the revered General Soleimani in fighting terrorism and terrorist groups, in particular, the US-backed terrorist groups."

The Assistant Head of the Iranian Judiciary for International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, had said on Sunday that the US is directly responsible for the assassination of the martyr Qassem Soleimani.

Gharibabadi revealed in a statement to Iranian television that "the majority of the accused are members of the US administration's structure," declaring that 125 suspects had been identified in the assassination, explaining that in addition to these accused, there are some other countries that were involved.