Iran: Washington sanctions election monitoring body

Text by: RFI Follow

As the Iranians go to the polls this Friday, February 21 for legislative elections, the United States has announced new sanctions against Iranian officials. This time it is the members of the body which selects the candidates for the elections.

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The five Iranian officials targeted by Washington are members of the Council of Guardians of the Constitution, the institution responsible for selecting candidates for election. The council is dominated by conservatives. With the approach of this Friday's legislative elections, he disqualified nearly 7,300 candidates, mainly reformers and moderates.

"The Trump administration will not tolerate manipulation of the elections," said the statement from the US Secretary of the Treasury announcing the freezing of assets held by sanctioned figures. The text also threatens those who carry out transactions with the five designated Iranian officials.

Among them is Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati. Over 90 years old, this ultra-conservative cleric has headed the Council of Guardians of the Constitution for almost three decades. He is one of the main dignitaries of the Islamic Republic since he is also president of the Assembly of Experts, the body that will appoint the next Iranian Supreme Guide when the time comes.

The current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is also subject to US sanctions announced last year. Just like the head of Iranian diplomacy Mohammad Javad Zarif.

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