Washington on Sunday threatened Iran with “serious consequences” if its citizens were “attacked” after Tehran announced sanctions against some 50 Americans for involvement in the attack that killed General Qasem Soleimani.
“If Iran attacks any of our citizens, including one of the 52 people named on Saturday, there will be serious consequences,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement quoted by Agence France-Presse.
Jake Sullivan further stated that “the United States of America will protect and defend its citizens,” including “those who currently serve the United States and those who have served them in the past.”
On Saturday, Tehran added more than 50 US citizens to the list of individuals accused of being involved in some way in decision-making or organizing the assassination of influential Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Qods Guard. Revolution, the elite force of the Islamic Republic.
The new sanctions were announced by Tehran just days after the second anniversary of the killing of Soleimani in a drone strike near Baghdad airport on the orders of then US President Donald Trump.
Among those who fell under the sanctions were US Chief of Staff Mark Millie and former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
“Looks like I’m going to have to cancel my relaxing vacation in Iran …” joked Nikki Haley in a post on Twitter this Sunday.
On Monday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi threatened former US leaders, including Donald Trump, with retaliation on the occasion of a rally in Tehran to mark the anniversary of the assassination of General Soleimani.
