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| U.S. issues more visa bans for Iranians tied to protest repression | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| In a broad-brush critique of Iran’s human rights record, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday announced new visa restrictions on officials responsible for a crackdown on anti-government protesters. | In a broad-brush critique of Iran’s human rights record, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday announced new visa restrictions on officials responsible for a crackdown on anti-government protesters. |
| In a speech at the State Department before members of the Iranian diaspora, ambassadors posted to Washington and members of Congress, Pompeo said the visa restrictions will also apply to the family members of those officials. | In a speech at the State Department before members of the Iranian diaspora, ambassadors posted to Washington and members of Congress, Pompeo said the visa restrictions will also apply to the family members of those officials. |
| “Thugs killing people’s children will not be allowed to send their own children to study in the United States of America,” he said, prompting hearty applause. | “Thugs killing people’s children will not be allowed to send their own children to study in the United States of America,” he said, prompting hearty applause. |
| Iran finally admits it shot and killed ‘rioters.’ But it still won’t say how many people died in last month’s protests. | Iran finally admits it shot and killed ‘rioters.’ But it still won’t say how many people died in last month’s protests. |
| The ban reinforces existing visa restrictions that President Trump imposed in September on senior Iranian officials and their relatives, barring them from coming to the United States to travel, study or work. The earlier visa ban came after the families of Americans imprisoned in Iran gave the administration a list of Iranians living in the United States and purported to be related to senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani. | The ban reinforces existing visa restrictions that President Trump imposed in September on senior Iranian officials and their relatives, barring them from coming to the United States to travel, study or work. The earlier visa ban came after the families of Americans imprisoned in Iran gave the administration a list of Iranians living in the United States and purported to be related to senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani. |
| Pompeo’s remarks were meant to show that the United States will continue its “maximum pressure campaign” of economic sanctions against Tehran in the wake of anti-government protests that spread throughout Iran starting in mid-November after a giant hike in fuel prices. Thousands of protesters have been detained, and the State Department estimates that Iranian security forces have killed 1,000 people or more. Independent groups have pegged the number of casualties as significantly lower. | Pompeo’s remarks were meant to show that the United States will continue its “maximum pressure campaign” of economic sanctions against Tehran in the wake of anti-government protests that spread throughout Iran starting in mid-November after a giant hike in fuel prices. Thousands of protesters have been detained, and the State Department estimates that Iranian security forces have killed 1,000 people or more. Independent groups have pegged the number of casualties as significantly lower. |
| As Pompeo spoke, the Treasury Department announced sanctions on two judges who have presided over trials against journalists, attorneys, political activists and ethnic and religious minorities. The sanctions targeted Abolghassem Salavati and Mohammad Moghisseh, who oversee different branches of the Tehran Revolutionary Court where numerous trials deemed political in nature have been held. | As Pompeo spoke, the Treasury Department announced sanctions on two judges who have presided over trials against journalists, attorneys, political activists and ethnic and religious minorities. The sanctions targeted Abolghassem Salavati and Mohammad Moghisseh, who oversee different branches of the Tehran Revolutionary Court where numerous trials deemed political in nature have been held. |
| “This administration is targeting those in the regime who seek to censor protesters, persecute religious minorities, and silence the Iranian people,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement. “The United States stands with those who participate in peaceful public dissent and protests.” | “This administration is targeting those in the regime who seek to censor protesters, persecute religious minorities, and silence the Iranian people,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement. “The United States stands with those who participate in peaceful public dissent and protests.” |
| Pompeo also said he had redesignated Iran as a country of particular concern for religious freedom, calling the regime “among the worst violators of basic religious freedoms.” | Pompeo also said he had redesignated Iran as a country of particular concern for religious freedom, calling the regime “among the worst violators of basic religious freedoms.” |
| ‘I have lost hope for my life’: Iranians describe hardships as Trump expands sanctions | ‘I have lost hope for my life’: Iranians describe hardships as Trump expands sanctions |
| The Trump administration has been pressuring allies to help isolate Iran from the world economy. Pompeo has been the most prominent advocate of this policy. Barely a month after he became secretary of state in 2018, he issued a list of a dozen demands Iran must meet if it wants to rejoin the international community. | The Trump administration has been pressuring allies to help isolate Iran from the world economy. Pompeo has been the most prominent advocate of this policy. Barely a month after he became secretary of state in 2018, he issued a list of a dozen demands Iran must meet if it wants to rejoin the international community. |
| Tensions have spiraled skyward ever since, especially after Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal forged with Iran and began applying sanctions that have devastated the economy but failed to bring the regime to capitulation. Almost every week brings another round of U.S. sanctions against Iran, which considers them illegal under international law. | Tensions have spiraled skyward ever since, especially after Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal forged with Iran and began applying sanctions that have devastated the economy but failed to bring the regime to capitulation. Almost every week brings another round of U.S. sanctions against Iran, which considers them illegal under international law. |
| After the recent protests that were suppressed by a brutal and violent crackdown, Pompeo has appealed to Iranians to send video and photographic evidence of how the government is responding. He said Thursday that the United States has since received 36,000 pieces of information that are being investigated. | After the recent protests that were suppressed by a brutal and violent crackdown, Pompeo has appealed to Iranians to send video and photographic evidence of how the government is responding. He said Thursday that the United States has since received 36,000 pieces of information that are being investigated. |
| “The faces of the victims will not be forgotten,” Pompeo said. “And the faces of the perpetrators will be pursued. Iran’s human rights violations are worse than unacceptable. They’re evil and they’re wrong.” | “The faces of the victims will not be forgotten,” Pompeo said. “And the faces of the perpetrators will be pursued. Iran’s human rights violations are worse than unacceptable. They’re evil and they’re wrong.” |
| Numerous human rights organizations have decried Tehran’s brutal response to the protests, though none has confirmed casualties as high as the more than 1,000 people Pompeo said “probably” have been killed by the regime since mid-November. | Numerous human rights organizations have decried Tehran’s brutal response to the protests, though none has confirmed casualties as high as the more than 1,000 people Pompeo said “probably” have been killed by the regime since mid-November. |
| The most credible account comes from Amnesty International, which has confirmed 304 killings under a strict set of conditions for verifying deaths. It has compiled the list from multiple sources, including interviews with family members of the dead, lawyers, human rights activists and journalists inside Iran as well as outside the country. It has scrutinized burial certificates and death posters. It has had a digital verification team pore over videos on the Internet to ensure they are unaltered and do not date from before the November protests. | The most credible account comes from Amnesty International, which has confirmed 304 killings under a strict set of conditions for verifying deaths. It has compiled the list from multiple sources, including interviews with family members of the dead, lawyers, human rights activists and journalists inside Iran as well as outside the country. It has scrutinized burial certificates and death posters. It has had a digital verification team pore over videos on the Internet to ensure they are unaltered and do not date from before the November protests. |
| The number of casualties could be much higher, because the families of some slain protesters had to promise not to hold public funerals or talk to journalists before authorities would release the bodies, according to human rights activists. | The number of casualties could be much higher, because the families of some slain protesters had to promise not to hold public funerals or talk to journalists before authorities would release the bodies, according to human rights activists. |
| This week, 23 international human rights organizations called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to conduct an independent inquiry of the government’s repression of protesters. | This week, 23 international human rights organizations called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to conduct an independent inquiry of the government’s repression of protesters. |
| In his speech Thursday, Pompeo also held out a vision of a future in which the United States and Iran reestablished a relationship that has been frozen since after the 1979 Iranian revolution, when students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held dozens of American diplomats and officials hostage for 444 days. Now, they only communicate officially through the mediation of Switzerland, whose embassy in Tehran represents U.S. interests. | In his speech Thursday, Pompeo also held out a vision of a future in which the United States and Iran reestablished a relationship that has been frozen since after the 1979 Iranian revolution, when students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held dozens of American diplomats and officials hostage for 444 days. Now, they only communicate officially through the mediation of Switzerland, whose embassy in Tehran represents U.S. interests. |
| “One day, the locks on the doors of the Iranian Embassy here in Washington could be cut off,” Pompeo said. “One day, Iran Air could fly direct to Los Angeles, to Houston. Everyone should suffer LAX. One day, our leaders could receive one another in good will and not as adversaries. What a moment that would be.” | “One day, the locks on the doors of the Iranian Embassy here in Washington could be cut off,” Pompeo said. “One day, Iran Air could fly direct to Los Angeles, to Houston. Everyone should suffer LAX. One day, our leaders could receive one another in good will and not as adversaries. What a moment that would be.” |