Currents News Staff
In the back and forth between the U.S. and Iran the U.S. is striking back, this time, with economic sanctions.
“We will continue to apply economic sanctions until Iran stops its terrorist activities and commit that it will never have nuclear weapons,” said Steven Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary.
The sanctions come as a result of the Iranian attack on U.S. and allied troops in Iraq, in retaliation for a U.S. strike that killed Qasem Soleimani.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo continues to defend the rationale behind the attack against the Iranian general.
“We had specific information on an imminent threat,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,” and those threats included attacks on U.S. embassies. period, full stop.”
But some members of Congress are still questioning whether the attack was truly imminent.
Meanwhile, Iranians say sanctions will not bring them to the table.
“Either you want to have a dialogue, or either you want to apply sanctions,” said Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations.
To add to the escalating tensions, new details have emerged on the plane crash in Iran that killed 176 people aboard a Ukrainian plane.
“We do believe that it’s likely that plane was shot down by an Iranian missile. When we get the results of that investigation, I am confident we, and the world will take appropriate actions in response,” said Pompeo.
Iran denies the claims and says they are inviting international partners, including the U.S., into the investigation.