The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced sanctions against several American individuals accused of severe human rights violations stemming from their suppression of pro-Palestinian student protests. This development was reported by the Iranian news agency, IRNA.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s statement clarified that these sanctions are in line with the “Countering America’s Human Rights Violations and Adventurous and Terrorist Actions in the Region” law, specifically invoking Article 5 of the said legislation.
The statement emphasized that 11 U.S. citizens are being sanctioned for their role in suppressing peaceful demonstrations by students and university professors in the United States, who were protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israeli actions in Gaza.
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, all relevant institutions within the Islamic Republic of Iran will implement these measures, following the necessary approvals from concerned authorities. The sanctions include:
Freezing of bank accounts within Iran’s financial and banking system.
These actions are based on Articles 6, 7, and 8 of Section 6 of the aforementioned law.
The protests, which have spread across the United States, were notably ignited by students from the prestigious Columbia University in New York.
These demonstrations call on U.S. authorities to cease their support for Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the associated human rights violations against civilians.
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expand the definition of “anti-Semitism” within the Department of Education. This move follows the pro-Palestinian protests advocating for an end to the war on Gaza that swept American universities.
A segment of the U.S. political class has labelled the university protesters as “anti-Semitic,” citing, among other things, the anti-Israel slogans raised by demonstrators. Israel remains a significant ally of the United States in the Middle East.
The Gaza Strip is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the Israeli military’s destruction of infrastructure, including water pipelines and desalination plants.
The United Nations has issued warnings regarding the hunger crisis impacting Gaza’s residents amidst the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Since the onset of the devastating war on October 7, the Israeli military has enforced a stringent blockade on Gaza, cutting off water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel supplies to the 2.3 million residents, who were already enduring dire conditions.
This escalation and the subsequent Iranian sanctions highlight the complex interplay of international law, human rights, and geopolitical alliances in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.