17 Republican Senators Introduce Human Rights Sanctions Bill Against Khamenei and Raisi
As negotiations over reviving the JCPOA have made the question of lifting sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader and his office a controversial issue, 17 American Republican senators have introduced a bill to impose human rights sanctions against Ali Khamenei and Ibrahim Raisi to the Senate.
Ted Cruz, the Republican senator leading the supporters of this bill, while alluding to the possibility of removing sanctions against Iran’s government leader, accused Khamenei of “corruption, violence and theft of Iranians’ property” and referred to Ibrahim Raisi as “responsible for the massacre of thousands of Iranians.”
He said these two should be “the target of severe American sanctions” and emphasized “preserving necessary sanctions” against Iran’s government.
In recent weeks, reports had been published that the Iranian government asked the Biden administration to lift sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader and his office as part of the sanctions removal that is to take place upon Iran’s return to the JCPOA.
The Donald Trump administration imposed sanctions against Ayatollah Khamenei and his appointees on June 24, 2019, in response to the downing of the country’s drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump’s executive order stipulated that these sanctions were being imposed due to “Iran’s destabilizing actions and those of its proxy groups, particularly actions that undermine stability in the Middle East, support for international terrorism, development of ballistic missile programs, Iran’s irresponsible and provocative actions in international waters including attacks on U.S. military assets and civilian vessels.”
Ibrahim Raisi, Iran’s elected president, was also added to Trump administration’s sanctions list in November 2019, when he held the position of head of the judiciary.
Iran’s insistence on lifting sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader and his office has been cited as one of the reasons for delays in reaching a nuclear agreement.
These sanctions, given that Iran’s supreme leader does not travel abroad and does not conduct business with American companies, are largely symbolic in nature, but Tehran officials consider sanctions against the country’s highest official insulting and insist on lifting sanctions against the country’s leader to achieve an agreement.
Republican senators supporting the new human rights sanctions bill against Khamenei and Ibrahim Raisi, however, hope that with their new bill the administration should not be able to remove existing sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader.
Source: Radio Farda
