Dozens Of US Individuals Sanctioned Iran: From Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff To Security Adviser Donald Trump

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with President Ebrahim Raisi at the state funeral for the late Qassem Soleimani. (Wikimedia Commons/Khamenei.ir)

JAKARTA - Iran on Saturday imposed sanctions on dozens of Americans, mostly from the military, in connection with the 2020 assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike.

Iran's foreign ministry said 51 Americans had been targeted by what it called "terrorism" and human rights abuses. The move allows Iranian authorities to confiscate any assets they have in Iran, but the absence of those assets means it is likely to be symbolic.

"The persons on the sanctions list participated in decision-making, planning, organization, financing, support, as well as in the leadership or execution of terrorist acts (operation against Soleimani)," the ministry quoted Sputnik News as saying January 8.

Soleimani, commander of Iran's Quds Force, an overseas force of the elite Revolutionary Guard, was killed in Iraq in a drone strike on January 3, 2020, ordered by then United States President Donald Trump.

Also killed in the attack was Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the head of the Kata'ib Shiite militia. Hezbollah, as well as the deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Those added to the Iran sanctions list include US General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien.

In a similar move announced a year ago, Iran imposed sanctions on Donald Trump and several senior US officials, for what it called "terrorist and anti-human rights" actions.

Separately, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, speaking on the second anniversary of Soleimani's assassination this week, said Donald Trump must stand trial for the killing, or Tehran would seek revenge.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration imposed sanctions on Iranian officials, politicians and companies after withdrawing the United States in 2018 from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

To note, Iran and the United States are currently holding indirect talks in Vienna, Austria to salvage the 2015 Nuclear Deal.