Iran Downplays US Sanctions on Its Military as ‘Toothless’

Speaking on the sideline of Wednesday’s cabinet session, Amir Hatami referred to the military commanders that sanctioned by the US, stressing that the sanctions would have no effect.

“Those sanctioned by the United States are like those who are shot by the enemy. Like the disabled Iranian veterans (Janbaz in Persian), the nation and the armed forces are proud of them,” he underlined in an interview with Iran Press.

The Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami also added that the US new sanctions would have no effect since the country’s armed forces are run self-sufficiently.

The United States has imposed sanctions on nine individuals and one entity, “who are appointees of or have acted for or on behalf” of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on November 4, said that it took action against the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces and its Chairman Major General Mohammad Baqeri as well as Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeisi, who was appointed by the Leader in March 2019.

It also slapped sanctions on former defense minister and a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Dehqan and the commander of the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters Major General Gholam Ali Rashid.

The new sanctions also targeted officials at Ayatollah Khamenei’s Office, including his chief of staff.