Trump Signs Executive Order Delivering ‘Hard-Hitting’ Sanctions Against Iran

President Trump struck back Monday at Iran by issuing “hard-hitting” financial sanctions against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his associates.

“Today’s action follows a series of aggressive behaviors by the Iranian regime in recent weeks including shooting down a U.S. drone,” the president said in the Oval Office, calling Khamenei “responsible for the hostile conduct of the regime.”

Trump said the sanctions “will deny the supreme leader and the supreme leader’s office and those closely affiliated with him and the office access to key financial resources and support.” Speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions “lock up literally billions of dollars more of assets.”

“Along with that action today, we are also announcing specific actions targeting those responsible for recent activities,” Mnuchin said, adding that the president has instructed him to sanction Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif “later this week.”

The Treasury Department, in a news release, said “any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant financial transaction for entities designated under this Executive Order could be cut off from the U.S. financial system.”

Education Dept. Goes Viral with Takedown of ‘Fake News’ Story on Loan Cuts: No More Handouts for Failing Degrees

Even Healthcare Workers Are Dropping Health Coverage as Obamacare Premiums Hit New Heights

Trump drops Republican Senator’s phone number in social post over fury on stalled bill

Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution as former US attorney tapped to lead independent review

Death Row Inmate Christa Pike Kept Alive With Ventilator After Botched Execution as Hospital Staff Tries to ‘Save’ Her

Newsom slaps 25% tax on private detention centers in sweeping pushback against key Trump policy

Watch: No Word from Pro-Palestinian Gays After Islamic Preacher Encourages Men to Execute Them, Strike Women

Trump’s attempted assassin sent mysterious texts about 3D printer leading up to Butler, Pa. shooting: report

DHS exposes dilemma behind SCOTUS deportation fight: ‘We have two choices’

MAGA mom’s dire warning over tech guardrails as Trump puts pedal to the metal on race with China

‘Activist judge’ rules Congress cannot bar noncitizens from voting in federal elections

Activist network wants you scared of AI killing people — unless China’s using it

Boston-bound plane vanishes with 6 on board; Coast Guard launches search off Nantucket coast

Japan seeks US help to bring North Korean abductees home

Lawmaker’s stunned face and other viral moments cap rough week for political class

Amid the newly announced sanctions, Fox News has confirmed that the U.S. military also carried out a cyberattack against Iran last Thursday even as the president nixed plans for airstrikes in response to the downing of an American drone.

Sources said U.S. Cyber Command launched the cyberattack targeting the Iranian intelligence and radar installations used to down the U.S. Navy drone last week.

Fox News has learned Iran shut off some of its military radar sites around the time the U.S. was poised to launch retaliatory strikes. It’s not clear if those radar sites were turned off by the cyberattack or if Iran shut them off deliberately in anticipation of this.

Yahoo! News first reported on the retaliatory cyber strike. It came as the White House and Pentagon were also considering military strikes, but Trump revealed last Friday that he called them off after learning up to 150 Iranians could be killed.