U.S. State Department Official: Possibility of Sanctions Against Individuals and Entities Involved in Suppressing Iranian Protesters

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran and Iraq says Washington is seeking to create an "international coalition" to "support the people of Iran" and may impose human rights sanctions against officials and entities involved in suppressing protesters. Andrew Peek, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran and Iraq, stated in an interview with the English-language network "Voice of America" that the protests in Iran reflect what the U.S. government has long asserted: the most significant victim of the Iranian government is the Iranian people. This State Department official emphasized that Washington is closely monitoring events inside Iran: "We urge the Iranian government to respect the right of the Iranian people to engage in peaceful protests, to respect the free flow of information, and to refrain from violence against peaceful protesters." This U.S. official noted that Rex Tillerson and the department under his leadership are in contact with "international partners," specifically the European Union, to "build an international coalition to support the people of Iran." U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed their support for peaceful protests in Iran in recent days. The President of the United States himself has reacted to this issue several times and recently tweeted that the people of Iran are "hungry for food and freedom. Besides human rights, Iran's wealth has been plundered. The time for change has come." Mr. Trump's supportive remarks have elicited responses from Iranian officials. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described these comments as "interventionist," and Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, without naming Donald Trump, stated: "This gentleman who today wants to sympathize with our people has forgotten that a few months ago he called the Iranian nation terrorists. This person, who is entirely against the Iranian nation, has no right to show compassion for the Iranian people." Andrew Peek, the advisor for Iran and Iraq at the U.S. State Department, stated that the U.S. government seeks a change in the behavior of the government in Tehran, "specifically related to its destabilizing activities in the region, support for terrorism, and confrontation with the Iranian people" and "we have always clearly expressed our desire to support such changes, and we will continue to do so." Andrew Peek stated that the U.S. government will hold accountable "individuals and entities that resort to violence against protesters in Iran, from top to bottom." According to this U.S. State Department official, Washington is monitoring events to decide on a possible response, "including sanctions or other tools." However, Mr. Peek refrained from providing further details, only emphasizing that these responses could encompass "a range of actions."