US imposes new sanctions on Iran with visa restrictions

US imposes new sanctions on Iran with visa restrictions, specially targeting judicial courts and security services.

The United States sanctions against Iran target individuals in the judicial courts and security services over handling of the recent protests against fuel price hike.

The US Treasury announced Thursday imposition of sanctions on two Iranian judges, Abolghassem Salavati and Mohammad Moghisseh.

US imposes new sanctions on Iran

He accused them of punishing Iranian citizens and dual nationals for participating in the protests.

According to the US treasury department,  the sanctions would freeze all property of the two judges under US jurisdiction. Furthermore, sanctions bar Americans from dealing with them.

Moreover, treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement that the United States woudl remain a bystander.

However, Iranian officials believed crisis in their country a result of Washington’s unilateral sanctions.

Department of State also imposes sanctions

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the State Department was also imposing visa restrictions on current and former Iranian officials. He accused them of complicit in what he called human rights abuses against protesters.

However, he did not name the officials, but said the visa restrictions would also extend to their family members.

The Iranian government raised gasoline prices on November 15 in order to moderate the national consumption rate, which stands at 110 million liters per day, 40 million liters per day above the maximum domestic requirement.

The move triggered protests that some rioters took advantage of to destroy public property and torch banks and gas stations.

The riots also marked hooligans and thugs attacking security forces with firearms, knives and other lethal weapons, leaving several people dead.

Following the deadly riots, access to most of the internet services in Iran was suspended based on a decision by the National Security Council of Iran.

Following the unrest, Pompeo urged Iranians to send photos and other information documenting what he called “repression,” while vowing to sanction “abuses” by the Iranian government.

“I have asked the Iranian protesters to send us their videos, photos and information documenting the regime’s crackdown on protesters,” Pompeo tweeted, vowing that the US will “expose and sanction the abuses.”

The US-based Foreign Policy magazine has said that Washington’s bid to pressure Iran with sanctions has failed to achieve its objectives and has even backfired.

GTV