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US Treasury imposes sanctions on Iran's Mahan Air | |
(40 minutes later) | |
The US has imposed sanctions on an Iranian airline it says flew members of an elite force linked to an alleged plot to kill the Saudi envoy to the US. | The US has imposed sanctions on an Iranian airline it says flew members of an elite force linked to an alleged plot to kill the Saudi envoy to the US. |
The US Treasury says Mahan Air ferried operatives from Iran's Quds Force and Hezbollah across the Middle East. | The US Treasury says Mahan Air ferried operatives from Iran's Quds Force and Hezbollah across the Middle East. |
Under the sanctions, the airline's US assets will be frozen and US firms barred from doing business with it. | Under the sanctions, the airline's US assets will be frozen and US firms barred from doing business with it. |
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meanwhile said the alleged plot was a "dangerous escalation" by Iran. | Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meanwhile said the alleged plot was a "dangerous escalation" by Iran. |
The sanctions were unveiled a day after the authorities announced they had foiled a conspiracy to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel Al-Jubeir, on US soil using explosives. | |
'Secretly ferrying operatives' | |
The US government accused members of the Iranian government - and the Quds Force, an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guard Corps - of involvement. | |
The sanctions on Mahan Air are the most noticeable step the US has taken following its announcement of an Iranian plot to carry out a bomb attack in Washington DC. | The sanctions on Mahan Air are the most noticeable step the US has taken following its announcement of an Iranian plot to carry out a bomb attack in Washington DC. |
Iran insists that the charges are part of an American propaganda campaign. To many observers, the details of the proposed attack by a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard remain fairly puzzling. | Iran insists that the charges are part of an American propaganda campaign. To many observers, the details of the proposed attack by a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard remain fairly puzzling. |
It is not immediately clear why the force would choose Manssor Arbabsiar, a man with a criminal record, as the principal agent of its first ever attack inside the US. | It is not immediately clear why the force would choose Manssor Arbabsiar, a man with a criminal record, as the principal agent of its first ever attack inside the US. |
Nor is it clear why Iran would want to approach a Mexican drugs cartel to plant the bomb - when cartels deliberately avoid hitting targets inside the US. | Nor is it clear why Iran would want to approach a Mexican drugs cartel to plant the bomb - when cartels deliberately avoid hitting targets inside the US. |
It may be that the Revolutionary Guard is more reckless in the planning of its operations than previously thought. | It may be that the Revolutionary Guard is more reckless in the planning of its operations than previously thought. |
On Tuesday, the US also imposed sanctions against five people it linked to the alleged assassination plot, including two men charged over the investigation. | |
The pair were named as Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old naturalised US citizen with dual Iranian and US passports, and Gholam Shakuri, who is based in Iran. | |
Mr Shakuri and three others named in Tuesday's sanctions were described as members of the Quds Force. | Mr Shakuri and three others named in Tuesday's sanctions were described as members of the Quds Force. |
Mr Arbabsiar - accused of wiring $100,000 (£63,000) to a US bank account to finance the alleged conspiracy - was charged in a New York City court on Tuesday. | Mr Arbabsiar - accused of wiring $100,000 (£63,000) to a US bank account to finance the alleged conspiracy - was charged in a New York City court on Tuesday. |
US officials have said that the accused approached a US informant posing as a member of a Mexican drug cartel to carry out the assassination. | |
Announcing the latest sanctions on Wednesday, Treasury official David Cohen said in a statement: "Mahan Air's close co-ordination with the IRGC-QF [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp-Quds Force] - secretly ferrying operatives, weapons and funds on its flights - reveals yet another facet of the IRGC's extensive infiltration of Iran's commercial sector to facilitate its support for terrorism. | |
"Following the revelation about the IRGC-QF's use of the international financial system to fund its murder-for-hire plot, today's action highlights further the undeniable risks of doing business with Iran." | "Following the revelation about the IRGC-QF's use of the international financial system to fund its murder-for-hire plot, today's action highlights further the undeniable risks of doing business with Iran." |
'Mischievous scenario' | |
Iranian official media reported on Wednesday that the foreign ministry had summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents US interests in the country. | |
The purpose of the meeting was to "strongly" protest against the US allegations, the state television website reported. | |
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted by Iran's Arabic-language Alalam channel as saying: "America has launched a mischievous scenario. But be certain, they will apologise [to Iran] in the future." | |
US Vice-President Joe Biden told America's ABC News network on Wednesday that Washington was in the process of uniting world opinion to condemn Iran. | |
"Nothing has been taken off the table," he added. | "Nothing has been taken off the table," he added. |
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) later reportedly condemned the alleged plot as a "flagrant violation" of international laws and agreements. | The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) later reportedly condemned the alleged plot as a "flagrant violation" of international laws and agreements. |
Secretary general Abdulattif al-Zayani said it was "severely harmful to relations between GCC member states and Iran", according to the Saudi state news agency. | Secretary general Abdulattif al-Zayani said it was "severely harmful to relations between GCC member states and Iran", according to the Saudi state news agency. |
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a mass rally that the Occupy Wall Street protests in the US href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15278925" >would topple the American capitalist system. |