Washington sanctions several Iranian officials, including the Minister of the Interior

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The United States imposed sanctions on Wednesday May 20 against the Minister of the Interior and eight other Iranian officials, as well as a public conglomerate, which they accuse of "serious violations of the rights of the Man ".

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"  The Iranian regime is violently cracking down on the dissidence of the Iranian people, including peaceful protests, through physical and psychological violence  ," said US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement. "  The United States will continue to hold Iranian leaders and the institutions that oppress their own people to account,  " he added.

These sanctions are aimed at Interior Minister Abdolreza Fazli and eight other officials. The public conglomerate LEF Cooperative Foundation, which has activities in the fields of energy, construction, services, technology and banking, is also concerned, as well as its leaders. Washington condemns its "  key role in the government's crackdown on protesters  ".

The LEF "  began to repress Afghan migrants in Iran, sending them to deportation centers (...) forcing many to fight for Iranian militias in Syria. In May 2020, the LEF was involved in the torture and drowning of Afghan nationals trying to enter Iran,  "it said.

Iranian-American tensions have grown steadily since the United States' unilateral withdrawal in 2018 from the Iranian nuclear deal, followed by the reinstatement of heavy U.S. sanctions against Tehran.

(With AFP)

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