U.S. Sanctions Nine Iranians Linked To Khamenei; Tehran Announces New Violations Of Nuclear Deal
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The United States has slapped sanctions on nine people connected to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, among them his chief of staff, one of his sons, and the head of Iran's judiciary.
The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement on November 4 that Washington also sanctioned Iranian armed forces General Staff.
The Treasury's announcement on November 4 came as Tehran said it had further scaled back its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, saying it is now operating twice as many advanced centrifuges banned by the agreement.
"Today the Treasury Department is targeting the unelected officials who surround Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and implement his destabilizing policies," U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.
"These individuals are linked to a wide range of malign behaviors by the regime, including bombings of the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983 and the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in 1994, as well as torture, extrajudicial killings, and repression of civilians," Mnuchin said.
Among those targeted by the U.S. sanctions are Khamenei's chief of staff Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani and Vahid Haghanian, who the department said "has been referred to as the Supreme Leader’s right hand."
Treasury also said that Ebrahim Raisi, who Khamenei appointed in March to lead Iran’s judiciary, and Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei's second son, were also placed under sanctions.
The measures freeze any U.S.-controlled property or interests held by those targeted, and prohibit anyone or any entities in the United States from dealing with those sanctioned.
The United States also announced a reward of up to $20 million for information about former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran in 2007.
The State Department says Levinson was taken hostage in Iran with the complicity of the Iranian regime. Tehran has never acknowledged arresting him. Combined with a $5 million reward already in place from the FBI, this makes a total of $25 million available to whomever is able to provide information about Levinson.
The announcement came on the 40th anniversary of the 1979 student takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the subsequent 444-day hostage crisis -- which the White House called a "brazen act."
444 Days: Looking Back At The U.S.-Iran Hostage Crisis
1/19Several hundred young Iranians, supported by a crowd of more than 3,000, climb the walls of the U.S. Embassy at 10:30 a.m. on November 4, 1979. They blindfolded and handcuffed dozens of U.S. citizens they found inside. Protesters had seized the Tehran compound months before, capturing a U.S. Marine on February 14, but order was restored after several hours.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
2/19Iran's monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, leaves his country for the last time on January 16, 1979, going first to Egypt. He and his wife, Empress Farah, were greeted by President Anwar Sadat (second from right). Iranian students were angry that U.S. President Jimmy Carter later allowed the shah to travel to New York for cancer treatment. The shah had fled Tehran amid a surge of demonstrations against his rule. His troops had answered some of them with deadly gunfire.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
3/19Demonstrators burn an American flag on November 9, 1979, atop the wall of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Weeks after the shah's departure, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from his 14-year exile in Paris to jubilant crowds. In March 1979, a referendum showed an overwhelming margin in favor of replacing the monarchy with an Islamic government.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
4/19Anger and frustration about the hostages held in Tehran grew in the United States throughout the crisis. An anti-Iranian demonstration was held in Washington, D.C., on November 9, 1979.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
5/19The Iranian captors took pains to show the American hostages looking comfortable. This image of an embassy staffer and a U.S. Marine was presented at a Tehran news conference on November 9, 1979. But the outside world had almost no access to the captives and, in reality, they struggled to cope. They endured beatings, a mock execution, and two would attempt suicide.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
6/19An Iranian student security guard patrols the embassy on November 10, 1979, as thousands of demonstrators gathered, chanting anti-American slogans. Leaders of the hostage-takers later said they never expected to hold the embassy for more than a few hours. They said they changed their plan after Ayatollah Khomeini endorsed their actions.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
7/19Three hostages released from the U.S. Embassy on November 19, 1979, are driven from a press conference to the airport. From left: Kathy Gross, 22, of Cambridge Spring, Pennsylvania; Marine Sergeant Ladell Maples, 23, of Earle, Arkansas; and Marine Sergeant William Quarles, 23, of Washington, D.C.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
8/19Thirteen Americans were freed on November 21, 1979, and taken to the U.S. Air Force base in Wiesbaden, West Germany, where they appeared before journalists. Lloyd Rollins, at the podium, read a statement from their former captors. Front row from the left: Terry Robinson, Joseph Vincent, James Hughes, Joan Walsh, Kathy Gross, and Anne Johnson. Back row from left: Terry Tedford, Liz Montagne, Wesely Williams, William Quarles, Ladell Maples, and David Walker.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
9/19Efforts by the International Red Cross to check on the hostages were thwarted. The organization’s delegate, Andre Tschiffeli (center), was only allowed a two-hour meeting with the student captors on November 24, 1979. He was given no access to the hostages. United Nations representatives were also kept away.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
10/19Iranian orphan girls in chadors demonstrate outside the embassy on November 27, 1979, demanding the return of the shah for prosecution.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
11/19To hold back the growing crowds of anti-American demonstrators, a steel fence was erected around the embassy gates as Iranians marched to mark the holy day of Tasua on November 29, 1979.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
12/19Some U.S. citizens were sympathetic to the Iranian students’ demands: Two Americans, Carol Downer (left) of Los Angeles and Rebecca Chalker (right) of Tallahassee, Florida, hold up a sign in front of the U.S. Embassy calling for the death of the shah on December 15, 1979. The sign was attributed to Chicago postal workers.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
13/19Iranians braved heavy rain to demonstrate their solidarity with hostage-holding students on December 15, 1979, after the news broke that the shah gone to Panama.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
14/19The American hostages are shown on Christmas Eve 1979. Hundreds of cards sent from well-wishers in the United States were delivered to Iranian guards, who promised to hand them over to the hostages after inspection, but never did.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
15/19After their second Christmas in captivity, the hostages were allowed to send messages to their families. Their statements were shown on U.S. television on December 27, 1980. Clockwise from upper left: Barry Rosen of Brooklyn, New York; Bert Moore of Mount Vernon, Ohio; William B. Royer Jr. of Houston, Texas; and John Graves of Reston, Virginia.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
16/19U.S. President Jimmy Carter is shown preparing for a televised address from the Oval Office on April 25, 1980. He reported that his decision to send a hostage-rescue mission into Iran had ended in disaster. Operation Eagle Claw had to be aborted. Eight U.S. servicemen died.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
17/19The wreckage of a burned-out American C-130 Hercules cargo plane is inspected by Iranian troops in the Dasht-e Kavir desert, some 500 kilometers from Tehran, on April 26, 1980. An RH-53 helicopter collided with the plane during the attempt to free the American hostages. Mechanical problems and a sandstorm hampered the mission, and a U.S. commander advised Carter to abort. The accident happened after the abort order was given. The helicopter's rotor churned up sand, blocking visibility. Carter put much of the blame for his loss in the 1980 presidential election on his failure to free the hostages.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
18/19Finally freed after a tortuous negotiation process mediated by Algeria, the 52 remaining hostages arrive in Wiesbaden, West Germany, on January 20, 1981. The captives were released just minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as U.S. president. Fourteen hostages had been released over the previous year, including one for medical reasons.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
19/19Former hostage Alan Golacinski of Silver Spring, Maryland, waves during a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan that honored the returning Americans on January 30, 1981. The agreement that resulted in the release of the hostages called for the unfreezing of $7.9 billion of Iranian assets abroad. The hostages were blocked from suing Iran, but in 2015, they were granted $4.4 million each by the U.S. government. The money was taken from an $8.9 billion fine against French bank BNP Paribas for its role in the violation of economic sanctions against Iran.
Forty years ago, on November 4, 1979, student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of American hostages. The attack sparked a diplomatic crisis that reverberates through the region to this day.
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Prototype Centrifuge
It also came after Tehran said it now has a prototype centrifuge that works 50 times faster than those allowed under the deal, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi also said on November 4, adding that the moves would show Iran's "capacity and determination."
U.S. President Donald Trump last year withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and a group of world powers and has since reimposed and expanded punishing sanctions as part of a stated campaign of "maximum pressure" against Iran.
Meanwhile, Tehran has gradually reduced some of its commitments under the pact, which had curbed its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
It had warned previously that it would announce new steps in November.
Iranian officials complain that the remaining parties to the deal have failed to mitigate the effects of the U.S. sanctions.
Earlier on November 4, Iranian state media reported government-sponsored rallies in nearly 1,000 cities and towns across the country for annual commemorations marking the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
On November 4, 1979, Iranian militant students stormed the diplomatic mission and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days after Washington refused to hand over Iran's toppled shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, for trial in Iran.
The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since then.
"Today, we honor the victims of this brazen act," a White House spokeswoman said in a statement, adding: "The Iranian regime continues to target innocent civilians for use as pawns in its failed foreign relations."
"Until Iran changes this and its other hostile behavior, we will continue to impose crippling sanctions," the spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said.
In Tehran, state television showed crowds packing the streets around the former embassy dubbed the "den of spies" after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. News agencies posted images of protesters setting the U.S. flag on fire.
Participants were chanting slogans against the United States, including “Death to America”, and Israel, according to the hard-line Fars news agency.
"Our fight with America is over our independence, over not submitting to bullying, over values, beliefs, and our religion," army chief Major General Abdolrahim Musavi said in a speech at the rally.
The United States "will continue its hostilities...unless it is crushed," Musavi said in remarks carried by state-run television.
Khamenei on November 3 renewed a ban on talks with the United States, describing the two countries as implacable foes.
"Those who believe that negotiations with the enemy will solve our problems are 100 percent wrong," Khamenei was quoted as saying by domestic media.
Trump wants to force Iran to renegotiate the 2015 nuclear accord, arguing that the terms were not tough enough to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons, agree curbs to its ballistic-missile program, and end its "malign" activities in the Middle East.
Iran has denied it supports insurgent activity and said its nuclear program was strictly for civilian energy purposes. Iranian officials have also ruled out any negotiations on its missile program.
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