The United States has stepped up pressure on Tehran over its crackdown on the ongoing anti-hijab protests. It has imposed sanctions on top Iranian officials including the prosecutor general and key military officials.
Deploring the role these officials are playing in the crackdown and the subsequent executions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement said “We again call on Iran’s leadership to immediately cease its violent crackdown and to listen to its people. We will continue to promote accountability for those involved as we support the Iranian people.”
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Talking about Mohsen Shekari who was the first person to be executed earlier this month over the protests the US Treasury department said that Iran’s prosecutor general, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, was responsible for human rights abuses including torture and death-penalty verdicts awarded in hearings that bore “little resemblance to a meaningful trial”.
As per Reuters, Washington also imposed sanctions on Imen Sanat Zaman Fara, an Iranian company that allegedly manufactures equipment for Tehran’s Law Enforcement Forces, including armoured vehicles used in crowd suppression.
“We denounce the Iranian regime’s intensifying use of violence against its own people who are advocating for their human rights,” said the Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson.
Additionally, Washington imposed sanctions on two senior officials of Iran’s Basij Resistance Forces, and two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials.
The sanctions as per AFP blocks the US assets of those targeted and also criminalise transactions with these officials. Anyone engaging in transactions with them also faces the risk of being hit with sanctions.
(With inputs from agencies)
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