(CNN) Jennifer Hansler and Betsy Klein - The U.S. sanctioned Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday due to his actions on behalf of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom the administration sanctioned in June. "Today President Trump decided enough is enough," a senior administration official said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Zarif "implements the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader, and is the regime's primary spokesperson around the world. The United States is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that its recent behavior is completely unacceptable." While the U.S. is open for talks with Iran, an official said the U.S. does "not consider him (Zarif) to be our primary point of contact." If there are future negotiations, the U.S. "(wants) to have contacts with somebody who is a significant decision-maker." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the "action represents another step toward denying the Iranian regime the resources to enable terror and oppress the Iranian people."
2019-08-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive