Iran Sanctions Over 50 Americans for 2020 Soleimani Assassination

US threatens 'severe consequences' if Iran does anything with the sanctions

On January 3, 2020, the United States assassinated Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The general was in Baghdad at the invitation of the Iraqi government when US drones killed him.

Iran is still not okay with this, needless to say. The Iranian government has now imposed individual sanctions on some 52 Americans for their role in what they called the “terrorist” act of killing their general.

The sanctions chiefly hit US military personnel, including generals and commanders in the vicinity. The sanctions open up the possibility of seizing assets, but none of them has any assets in Iran to begin with.

While most see the sanctions as symbolic, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan still used them as a chance to threaten Iran. He warned Iran faces “severe consequences” if they act against any of the sanctioned Americans.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.