Iran sanctions 61 Americans, including Pompeo
Iran has imposed sanctions on 61 more Americans, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for backing an Iranian dissident group, Tehran said on Saturday as months of talks to revive a 2015 nuclear deal remained at an impasse. Others blacklisted by Iran's Foreign Ministry for voicing support for the exiled dissident group Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) included Republican former President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House national security adviser John Bolton, Iranian state media reported. The sanctions, issued against dozens of Americans in the past on various grounds, let Iranian authorities seize any assets they hold in Iran. The steps, announced as Democratic US President Joe Biden wrapped up his trip to the Middle East, appear largely symbolic given the likely absence of such assets. Giuliani, Pompeo and Bolton, all Republicans, have been widely reported to have taken part in MEK events and voiced support for the group. Both Pompeo and Bolton served under Trump. Iran imposed sanctions on 51 Americans in January and another 24 in April. Iran's indirect talks with the United States on reviving the 2015 nuclear pact began in November in Vienna and continued in Qatar in June. But the negotiations have faced a months-long impasse. In 2018, Trump abandoned the deal, calling it too soft on Iran, and reimposed harsh US sanctions, spurring Tehran to breach nuclear limits in the pact. Biden's administration pledged to support all Americans despite any disagreements over politics or policy. (Reuters)