President Joe Biden said Monday that the United States will impose more sanctions on Iran this week in response to the country’s violent crackdown on “peaceful protesters”.
“This week, the United States will impose additional costs on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protesters. We will continue to hold Iranian authorities accountable and support the rights of Iranians to protest freely,” Biden said in a statement.
The president said he was “very concerned by reports of the increasingly violent crackdown on protesters in Iran, including students and women demanding equal rights and basic human dignity.”
“The United States stands with Iranian women and all Iranian citizens who inspire the world with their courage.”
The demonstrations caused by the death of young Mahsa Amini, after being arrested by Tehran’s moral police for breaking the strict dress code that requires women to wear the veil, enter their third week.
Biden gave no indication of what measures he is considering imposing to punish Tehran.
Iran is already under US economic sanctions due in part to its controversial nuclear program.
Tehran insists this program is for civilian purposes only, but the international community suspects it is aimed at building an atomic weapon.
