US imposes sanctions on Iranian general for role in massacring 148 protesters

The decision was based on hundreds of photographs and video evidence submitted to the State Department by Iranians.

By World Israel News Staff

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on a senior Iranian general for his role in massacring 148 Iranian anti-government protesters in November, a U.S. official announced on Friday.

The latest target of American sanctions on Iran was identified as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Brig. Gen. Hassan Shavapor “under Section 7031c, visa sanctions,” U.S. special envoy for Iran Brian Hook said.

“General Shavapor committed gross violations of human rights against protesters. He oversaw the massacre of 148 helpless Iranians in the Mashar region last November,” said the envoy.

According to Hook, the decision was made after hundreds of photographs and video evidence were submitted to the State Department by Iranians.

“The department has received more than 88,000 such tips since it appealed for Iranians to report evidence of repression and gross human rights abuses,” Hook said.

The envoy added that U.S. sanctions on Tehran have been proved “successful at weakening the regime” and its proxy forces, and “we should expect to see an enormous budget deficit this year.”

On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called President Donald Trump a “clown” who only pretends to support the Iranian people but will “push a poisonous dagger” into their backs.

Khamenei also addressed other Western countries, saying they were too weak to “bring Iranians to their knees.”

He charged that Britain, France, and Germany, which last week week triggered a dispute mechanism to try to bring Iran back into compliance with the unraveling 2015 nuclear agreement, were “contemptible” governments and “servants” of the United States.

In response, Trump took to Twitter to lambaste the Iranian leader.

“The so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ of Iran, who has not been so Supreme lately, had some nasty things to say about the United States and Europe. Their economy is crashing, and their people are suffering. He should be very careful with his words!” Trump tweeted on Friday.