The United States has slapped Iran’s interior minister, who is accused of allowing Iranian security forces to kill hundreds of peaceful protesters, with sanctions.
The sanctions, which were announced on Wednesday, add to the “maximum pressure” campaign being waged against Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted in a press release that one of the individuals targeted is Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli. According to Pompeo, Fazli gave the green light to the police to attack protesters last November, a move that killed up to 1,500 people.
“We have reason to believe Minister Rahmani Fazli gave carte blanche orders authorizing Iranian police forces to use lethal force on peaceful protestors and bystanders,” Pompeo said. “His — and the regime’ — goal was to quash these peaceful protests and suppress the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression at any cost. His orders led to the killing of many protesters, including at least 23 minors.”
In a Wednesday press release about the sanctions, the Treasury Department also noted that Fazli was involved in Iran’s internet blackout during the protests.
In November, thousands of Iranians turned out in the streets to demonstrate against a hike in fuel prices nationwide in demonstrations that soon evolved into more general mass protests over the Iranian regime’s handling of the country and the economy. In addition to those killed, thousands of Iranians were also jailed by regime forces.
Protests calling for regime change flared up again in January after Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner killing all 176 onboard, the majority of whom were Iranians. The country initially blamed the crash on mechanical troubles but later admitted responsibility and said it was a mistake.
Other prominent Iranian officials targeted by the new sanctions include Hassan Shahvarpour Najafabadi, a brigadier general with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iran’s chief of police, Hossein Ashtari Fard. The new sanctions prevent U.S. financial institutions from dealing with the officials and opens up non-U.S. entities that deal with them to possible sanctions.
