U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Russian and Iranian Security Units Over Unlawful Detentions of Americans Abroad

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, senior officials from the U.S. administration announced that the U.S. had imposed sanctions on the Russian Internal Security Service and the intelligence unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

The move came after the U.S. accused the two entities of being involved in unlawfully detaining U.S. citizens abroad.

The sanctions also targeted four high-ranking commanders in the intelligence unit, including one who had previously been subject to U.S. sanctions.

The United States has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Iran and Russia recently.

Regarding Iran, the U.S. government has implemented a range of economic and trade sanctions since 1979, following the Iranian Revolution.

In 2015, the U.S. and several other countries reached a deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to lift some sanctions in exchange for Iran curtailing its nuclear program. However, in 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement under the Trump administration and reimposed many previously lifted sanctions, including those on Iran's oil exports.

The U.S. has continued to increase pressure on Iran through sanctions in response to concerns over its nuclear program, human rights abuses, and support for terrorism.

In the case of Russia, the U.S. has imposed sanctions for a range of issues, including its annexation of Crimea in 2014, its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and alleged human rights abuses.

Economic sanctions on Russia included restrictions on access to the international banking system, sanctions on specific individuals and entities, and limits on trade in sectors such as defense and energy.