Iran Updates Sanctions List of US Officials Supporting MKO Terrorist Group
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it has designated 61 US individuals in accordance with an Iranian law titled “Countering Violations of Human Rights and Adventurist and Terrorist Actions of the United States of America in the Region,” passed by the Parliament.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, the blacklisted individuals, who deliberately support the anti-Iran terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) group, include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former White House National Security advisor John Bolton, who have attended the terror group’s meetings. Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Bob Menedez are also among the designated persons.
After it was founded more than 50 years ago, the MKO launched a campaign of bombings and assassinations in Iran. Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist attacks over the past four decades, about 12,000 have fallen victim to the group’s acts of terror.
The ill-famed terror group is currently based in Albania, where it enjoys freedom of activity after being delisted by the European Union and the United States in 2009 and 2012 respectively.
Regardless of its disrepute around the world, the MKO has in recent years held numerous big events, attended by senior American, Israeli and Saudi officials, including former US Senator John McCain, former mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton, former US Senator Joe Lieberman, and former director of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency Turki bin Faisal Al Saud.
Following is the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s statement:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran in accordance with the Law on Countering Violations of the Human Rights and Adventurous and Terrorist Acts of the United States in the Region, in particular Article 4 of the Law, designates the following American individuals and officials for their deliberate support of the Monafeghin terrorist group (so-called MKO) through participation in the terrorist group's gathering, acknowledging their terrorist acts and causes as well as providing political and propaganda support to the group.
Throughout the recent decades, the Monafeghin terrorist group by organizing and perpetrating countless terrorist acts, have martyred more than 17,000 innocent civilians, in particular women and children. Despite the terrorist nature and atrocious terrorist acts of Monafeghin as well as its violent terrorist and military activities, the United States government continues to support this terrorist group and has maintained its double standards and hypocrisy in this regard.
The Islamic Republic of Iran recalling the international obligations in desisting and refraining from, among others, facilitating and encouraging terrorist acts, reiterates that the policy and practice of the United States government in supporting the Monafeghin terrorist group is in violation of the abovementioned obligation and constitutes internationally wrongful acts entailing the international responsibility of the said government.
In the light of the above and considering the provisions of the Law on Countering Violations of the Human Rights and Adventurous and Terrorist Acts of the United States in the Region, all relevant national authorities will take appropriate measures for effective implementation of the sanctions stipulated in the Act.
Updating Designations regarding American Officials and Individuals Supporting the Monafeghin Terrorist Group:
1. Mike Pompeo
2. Robert Torricelli
3. Rudy Giuliani
4. Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman
5. Robert Joseph
6. Michael Mukasey
7. Louis Freeh
8. John Robert Bolton
9. Marc Ginsberg
10. John M." Jack" Keane
11. Charles F. Wald
12. Nathan A. Sales
13. Lincoln Bloomfield
14. Mary Landrieu
15. Frances Townsend
16. Gen. James T. Conway
17. Deborah Lee James
18. Gary Faye Locke
19. Patrick Kennedy
20. Linda Chavez
21. Mitchell Reiss
22. Joe Donnelly
23. Bill Ritter, Jr
24. Steve Bullock
25. Philip Noman (Phil Bredesen)
26. Timothy M. Boras
27. Theresa Payton
28. Donna Lease Brazile
29. James Logan Jones Junior
30. Pete Sessions
31. Raul Ruiz
32. Nicole Malliotakis
33. Mario Diaz Balart
34. Angie Craig
35. Brad Schneider
36. Thomas Earl "Tom" Emmer
37. French Hill
38. Sheila Jackson-Lee
39. Brian Fitzpatrick
40. Judy Chu
41. Scott Perry
42. Donald John Bacon
43. Gwus Michael Bilirakis
44. Kelly A. Ayotte
45. Hakeem Jeffries
46. Kevin McCarthy
47. Brad Sherman
48. Joe Wilson
49. Dean Philips
50. Cory Booker
51. Roy Blunt
52. Maggie Hassan
53. Joni Ernst
54. John Boozman
55. Doug Jones
56. Ted Cruz
57. John Cornyn
58. Thom Tillis
59. Rick Scott
60. Robert " Bob" Menendez
61. Jeanne Shaheen