US sanctions Ayatollah Khamenei, ‘closing door to diplomatic solution’

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order which empowers him to impose sanctions on a new slew of Iranian targets – including its Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, and its Foreign Minister, US-educated Javad Zarif.

Iran has responded that, in so doing, the United States has closed the door to a diplomatic solution to the tensions between the two countries.

The executive order is taken ‘in light of the actions of the Government of Iran and Iranian-backed proxies, particularly those taken to destabilize the Middle East, promote international terrorism, and advance Iran’s ballistic missile program, and Iran’s irresponsible and provocative actions in and over international waters, including the targeting of United States military assets and civilian vessels.’

It came shortly after Iranian forces shot down a US surveillance drone which, the US claims, was in international airspace at the time it was struck – a claim denied by Iran and Russia, both of which state it was in Iranian airspace. Prior to the drone attack, a number of oil tankers travelling through the Straits of Hormuz were attacked in operations which the US and other governments have attributed to Iranian forces.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) has updated its Specially Designated National (‘SDN’) list to include Ali Hosseini Khamenei (without according him his official title of Supreme Leader of Iran).

Others designated include eight senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said: ‘The President’s order will deny Iran’s leadership access to financial resources and authorises the targeting of persons appointed to certain official or other positions by the Supreme Leader or the Supreme Leader’s Office. Moreover, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant financial transaction for entities designated under this Executive Order could be cut off from the US financial system.’

Iranian news agency IRNA reports President Rouhani as saying: ‘The Iranian leader does not belong to Iran alone, there are many Muslims in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Shias and non-Shias who are lovers and obedient to leader of Iran. An official has lost his mind and in a stupid move sanctions such a leader who does not travel to the United States!’

On 25 June, President Trump tweeted that ‘Any attack by Iran on anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force. In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration.’