Iran imposes sanctions on US officials, institutions

TEHERAN — The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that Teheran has imposed sanctions against 10 individuals and four institutions from the United States for violating human rights, interfering in Iran's internal affairs, and inciting violence and riots in Iran.

In a statement published on its website, the Foreign Ministry said the sanctions have been imposed based on a law adopted by Iranian authorities to counter US human rights violations as well as its "adventurist and terrorist moves in the region".

Individuals on the list include Commander of the US Central Command, or CENTCOM, Michael Kurilla, CENTCOM's Deputy Commander Gregory Guillot, and US Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo.

Sanctioned institutions comprise the Central Intelligence Agency, the Ninth Air Force, the National Guard of the United States, and the advocacy organization United Against Nuclear Iran.

The sanctions will prohibit the targeted individuals from obtaining visas and entering Iran, and will freeze their assets and bank accounts inside Iran.

Several Western governments have imposed new sanctions on Iran recently, with Canada announcing on Monday fresh sanctions, Agence France-Presse reported.

Earlier on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani decried a potential European Union proposal for further sanctions, including listing Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a "terrorist organization", as "illegal".

Teheran announced last Wednesday sanctions targeting eight institutions and 12 individuals based in the EU for "supporting terrorist groups", "inciting violence" and "provoking riots, violence and terrorist acts" in the country.

Xinhua - Agencies