The United States has recently imposed sanctions on several Iranian individuals and entities for their alleged involvement in global assassination plots, including targeting former National Security Advisor John Bolton. The move comes as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate, with the US accusing Iran of sponsoring terrorism and pursuing nuclear weapons.
The sanctions were announced by the US Treasury Department on September 2, 2020, and target five individuals and seven entities linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). According to the Treasury Department, these individuals and entities were involved in a series of assassination plots and other covert operations aimed at undermining US interests and those of its allies.
One of the most notable targets of these alleged plots was John Bolton, who served as National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump from April 2018 to September 2019. The Treasury Department claims that an Iranian intelligence operative named Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd was involved in a plot to assassinate Bolton in 2018, while he was attending a rally in Paris organized by an Iranian opposition group.
The Treasury Department also alleges that Mousavi-Majd was involved in a plot to assassinate a Saudi diplomat in the US in 2011, as well as other covert operations aimed at disrupting the activities of Iranian dissidents and opposition groups around the world.
In addition to Mousavi-Majd, the US has imposed sanctions on four other individuals linked to the MOIS, as well as seven entities that are said to be front companies or subsidiaries of the intelligence agency. The sanctions freeze any assets that these individuals or entities may have under US jurisdiction and prohibit US citizens from doing business with them.
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to increase pressure on Iran, which has been under heavy economic sanctions since the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. The US has accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and pursuing nuclear weapons, and has taken a series of steps to isolate the country diplomatically and economically.
Iran has denied the allegations of involvement in assassination plots and other covert operations, and has accused the US of engaging in a campaign of economic warfare against it. The two countries have been engaged in a tense standoff for several years, with both sides taking increasingly aggressive actions in response to perceived provocations.
The imposition of sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities for alleged involvement in assassination plots is likely to further escalate tensions between the US and Iran. It remains to be seen whether the move will have any significant impact on Iran’s behavior or on the broader geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
