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.”
Before One of Charlie Kirk’s Final Speeches, He Was Warned Not to Talk About Christianity – That Was All the Motivation He Needed
False Moderates, Part 4: AOC’s Presidential Ambitions Could Threaten American Liberty
Newsom says Biden, Clinton, and Harris were too insulated; urges Democrats to get out of their bubble
9/11 Museum unveils exhibition for generation too young to remember the attacks: ‘Called everybody to lead’
America’s reddest state chases billion-dollar boom as others sour on massive emerging industry
Walz warned about African official operating Minnesota group homes from overseas
Teen boater found clinging to capsized vessel after 3 go missing; 2 bodies recovered
Ex-NFL cheerleader battles former gubernatorial aide in tight GOP primary race
Five takeaways from opening night of first-ever GOP midterm convention
Trump makes stunning first-of-its-kind cash promise in bid to rally GOP voters at Dallas midterm convention
Trump electrifies his base, but the nosebleeds are empty. Is it enough to win the midterms?
Fetterman teases where his true loyalty lies after surprise appearance at GOP convention
EXCLUSIVE: 25 years after 9/11, ICE says more than 2K known or suspected terrorists have been deported
Trump makes convention pitch for Paxton: You may not like his looks, but he’s the best AG in Texas history
US forces obliterate suspected ‘narco-terrorist’ vessel in lethal Eastern Pacific strike, killing 3
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.
Before One of Charlie Kirk’s Final Speeches, He Was Warned Not to Talk About Christianity – That Was All the Motivation He Needed
False Moderates, Part 4: AOC’s Presidential Ambitions Could Threaten American Liberty
Newsom says Biden, Clinton, and Harris were too insulated; urges Democrats to get out of their bubble
9/11 Museum unveils exhibition for generation too young to remember the attacks: ‘Called everybody to lead’
America’s reddest state chases billion-dollar boom as others sour on massive emerging industry
Walz warned about African official operating Minnesota group homes from overseas
Teen boater found clinging to capsized vessel after 3 go missing; 2 bodies recovered
Ex-NFL cheerleader battles former gubernatorial aide in tight GOP primary race
Five takeaways from opening night of first-ever GOP midterm convention
Trump makes stunning first-of-its-kind cash promise in bid to rally GOP voters at Dallas midterm convention
Trump electrifies his base, but the nosebleeds are empty. Is it enough to win the midterms?
Fetterman teases where his true loyalty lies after surprise appearance at GOP convention
EXCLUSIVE: 25 years after 9/11, ICE says more than 2K known or suspected terrorists have been deported
Trump makes convention pitch for Paxton: You may not like his looks, but he’s the best AG in Texas history
US forces obliterate suspected ‘narco-terrorist’ vessel in lethal Eastern Pacific strike, killing 3
“I stopped it, not … proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone,” he tweeted at the time.
The drone shoot-down was only the latest flare-up in the region tied to Iran.
In recent weeks, six oil tankers have been attacked in the Gulf of Oman, which the U.S. and its Gulf allies blame on Iran.
Story cited here.
