Iranian MPs Introduce Bill to Sanction US Officials

The bill calls for lifetime bans on US National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin and American senator Ted Cruz and their family members' traveling to Iran, in a reaction to Washington's embargos on Iranian officials, and these figures' strong hostile measures against Iran in the past few years.

It also bars the Iranian officials from any kind of trade, economic, cultural and political interactions and exchanges with them.

US President Donald Trump had in June announced sanctions on Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei's office and several other senior Iranian officials.

Mnuchin had at the time said that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would be targeted with US sanctions later.

In reaction to sanctions against Ayatollah Khamenei, Zarif had blasted the measure against international norms.

Putting the name of Ayatollah Khamenei and individuals linked to his office on the list of sanctions indicates that they are totally unfamiliar with international norms, Zarif told reporters in Tehran in June on the sidelines of the ceremony marking Day of Africa.

He added that they also showed that they are not acquainted with regulations of behavior among the countries, as they are not familiar to Islam and bonds between the religious authority and the followers.

"The moves reveal that the US economic sanctions have failed, as it has turned to other ways," he said, noting that their claim that they are seeking talks is a lie.

The US imposed sanctions on Iranian foreign minister late in July.

In reaction to the move, the Iranian foreign minister, the architect of a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, reiterated that the move by the US administration “has no effect” on him or his family, as they “have no property or interests outside of Iran”.

“Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda,” Zarif stated.

Since withdrawing unilaterally from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal last year, Washington has steadily reapplied biting economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, targeting the country’s energy, shipping, banking, and military sectors. The United States has also sanctioned top Iranian officials.

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