Iran sanctions aide to ex-US national security adviser

Iran said on Sunday it has sanctioned an ex-aide to a former US national security adviser who is a senior member of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Richard Goldberg, who served as an aide to John Bolton, was sanctioned over "being actively involved in economic terrorism against the interests of Iran's government and citizens," state news agency IRNA reported, citing a statement from the foreign ministry.

The sanctions were predicated on a 2017 law "confronting America's human rights violations and adventurist and terrorist acts in the region".

But the nature of the sanctions was not specified.

Iran had blacklisted the FDD and its chief executive Mark Dubowitz last year, likewise for "economic terrorism".

The FDD describes itself as a Washington-based "non-partisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security."

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It strongly opposed the 2015 deal that saw world powers lift sanctions against Iran in return for placing limits on its nuclear programme.

Tensions between arch-foes Iran and the US have escalated since President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear accord and began reimposing sanctions against the Islamic republic in 2018.

Goldberg said on Twitter it was "a badge of honor" to be sanctioned by Iran for "coordinating" Trump's maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic republic.

Trump sacked Bolton from his post as national security adviser in September last year.