WASHINGTON, Jan.9 (Reuters) – Iran will face serious consequences if it attacks Americans, the White House warned on Sunday, the day after Thran decided to impose sanctions on some 50 Americans. for the death of General Qassem Soleimani.
“We will work with our allies and partners to prevent and respond to any attack led by Iran,” Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, said in a statement.
“If Iran attacks one of our nationals, including one of the 52 people named yesterday, he will suffer serious consequences,” he added.
Iran on Saturday imposed sanctions on a dozen more American nationals, most of them soldiers, for the death of General Qassem Soleimani, who commanded the Al Quds force in charge of foreign operations and who was killed on January 3 by a American drone near Baghdad.
The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs has specified that 51 Americans are now being screwed for “terrorism” and human rights violations, a measure which allows the Iranian authorities to seize any assets they hold in Iran. In the absence of known assets in Iran on the part of these Americans, the sanction seems above all symbolic.
It is also unknown for the moment why Jake Sullivan referred to 52 people when Iran mentions the figure of 51.
Among those targeted by Thran include General Mark Milley, the United States Chief of Staff, and Robert O’Brien, the former White House national security adviser. (Doina Chiacu report; French version Claude Chendjou)