U.S Imposes More Sanctions On Iran And Russia

The United States has placed more new sanctions on Russia’s FSB intelligence agency and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard for taking “hostage” Americans.

The sanctions came a month after Russia detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, charging him with spying.

A senior US Official said The US is showing that one cannot engage in this sort of awful behavior of using human beings as pawns, as bargaining chips, without consequences.

Both agencies have already been hit with punitive measures by the US State and Treasury Departments in the past.

But the official said the new sanctions would underscore the US view of what he described as an increasing phenomenon of governments detaining foreign nationals to extract political benefits.

He added that applying these sanctions aim to promote accountability for the culprits and prevent as well as deter the next set of cases from arising in the first place.

The United States is seeking his release, and that of Paul Whelan, a former US Marine arrested in Russia in 2018 and sentenced to prison two years later for alleged spying.

Last year in prisoner swaps the US secured the release from Russia of basketball star Brittney Griner, jailed on drugs charges and another former Marine, Trevor Reed, imprisoned for assaulting a Russian police officer.

At least three US citizens are being held in Iranian prisons, including businessman Siamak Namazi, held in Tehran’s Evin prison since 2015.

The sanctions were announced on the FSB, Moscow’s federal security service, and on the intelligence organization of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.