Iran sanctions US officials over pro-Palestine protests

Iran's Foreign Ministry has imposed sanctions on 11 American officials it accuses of clamping down on academic movements supporting Palestine.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry cited the “violation of human rights” in suppressing pro-Palestine student movements in the US as the reason for the sanctions.

Between April and June, students across the US protested against Israel’s war with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, following the deadly Hamas invasion on October 7, which killed 1,200 civilians. Another 250 hostages were taken to Gaza.

Israel’s subsequent retaliation has resulted in over 37,000 thousands of Palestinian deaths according to Hamas. Israel claims at least 16,000 of those are Hamas militants.

The sanctioned Americans include Linda J. Stump-Kurnick, Chief of the University of Florida Police Department and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, among others.

The meaningless sanctions mean the officials would face blocked accounts and transactions within Iranian financial systems should they be banking there, asset freezes within Iran's jurisdiction, and a prohibition on obtaining visas or entering Iran.

However, since Iran is under US sanctions for its nuclear program, no American officials would be involved in financial activity with Iran, nor would it be safe to travel there amid Iran's hostage taking policy.

Iran is also sanctioned globally for its support of Russia's war on Ukraine and its human rights abuses at home.

Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have praised the Western university protests, viewing them as part of Iran’s resistance against US and Israeli policies. Khamenei has called the protesters part of Iran’s 'resistance front' against the US and Israel.

However, the Iranian government’s support for the protests has sparked backlash among Iranians, who see this stance as hypocritical. Iran's government, known for suppressing dissent, including imprisoning students and educators, is being criticized for celebrating American students' freedom of expression while denying the same rights domestically.