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U.S. sanctions nine people, one entity tied to Iran's top leader - UPDATED

04 November 2019 22:12 (UTC +04:00)

The United States imposed sanctions on nine people with ties to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including his chief of staff, one of his sons and the head of Iran’s judiciary, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Monday, APA rpeorts quoting Reuters.

The United States also sanctioned Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, the department said in the statement, which came 40 years after Iran seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking more than 50 Americans hostage.

“Today the Treasury Department is targeting the unelected officials who surround Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and implement his destabilizing policies,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

“These individuals are linked to a wide range of malign behaviors by the regime, including bombings of the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983 and the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in 1994, as well as torture, extrajudicial killings, and repression of civilians,” Mnuchin added.

Separately, the U.S. State Department announced a new reward up to $20 million for information that leads to the location, recovery and return of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who was last seen in Iran.

“The Trump Administration has made clear that the regime in Iran must release all missing and wrongfully detained Americans, including Robert Levinson, Xiyue Wang, Siamak Namazi, and others. We will not rest until they are reunited with their families,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement, referring to American citizens who have been imprisoned in Iran after being accused of espionage.

*** 20:50

The United States have imposed sanctions against nine people and one entity with ties to Iran, the US Treasury Department announced, APA reports quoting sputniknews.

This reveal was delivered via the department's website on on the 40th anniversary of the seizure of US Embassy in Tehran which marked the beginning of the 444-day Iran hostage crisis.