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.”

Trump says polls ‘don’t account for one thing,’ as he pledges to defeat communists ‘once and for all’

Iran could move shadow war in a dangerous direction, experts warn on back of two possible terror attacks

Abdul el Sayed has stabilized his Michigan Senate campaign. Can the Democrat hold the gains?

Ukraine Annihilates 3,000 Enemy Troops by Dropping Killer Robots Behind Russian Lines, Makes World History

GOP AGs Target Wall Street Big 3 for Punishing Companies with Bad Credit for Refusing to Comply with Woke ESG

As Yemen’s civil war enters a new phase, what’s next for the embattled country?

California K-9 Otis helps police seize 440 pounds of cocaine during Alhambra traffic stop

Shooting near Baltimore youth football event leaves 12-year-old girl dead, 3 adults wounded

Trump touts ‘golden age’ at Ohio rally, urges voters to deliver GOP midterm wins

Cornell president says university ‘must do better’ on handling of sexual assault allegations

South Carolina mom couldn’t remember last time she fed 2 daughters before they were found dead: affidavit

Another One: College Prof, Ex-Dem Candidate Arrested After His DNA Found in 15-Year-Old’s Rape Kit, Cops Say

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

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.