US sanctions target sunken Iranian ship, closed bank

The sanctions recently re-imposed by the US on Iran have, among other things, targeted a sunken Iranian tanker and a closed bank in a gaffe that has drawn a reaction from Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

“The US designated a bank that was closed six years ago, and a ship that sank last year in a widely televised saga,” Zarif tweeted on Monday.

The move took place as part of “a desperate PSYOP (psychological operation) to amplify the list of sanctioned Iranian entities—unintentionally also proving it is targeting ordinary Iranians indiscriminately,” he explained.