Iran condemns Hook's comments, US reward for terror

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has strongly condemned the latest moves and comments by the US administration, especially its Iran representative Brian Hook, to increase pressure against the Iranian nation as part of an "economic terrorism campaign."

News ID: 446860

Date: 05 September 2019 - 12:49

RNA - “The surge in hostile comments and desperate measures - and most ridiculously the reward offered for treason and espionage - are measures out of desperation and disappointment, aimed at swaying the Iranian nation," Abbas Mousavi said in a statement on Wednesday.

He added such measures will not get anywhere, and will only add "dark pages to the US' record of treating Iranians."

The Americans will definitely be held accountable for their actions someday, Mousavi noted.

The spokesman's remarks came after the US State Department announced a reward of up to $15 million for any person who helps Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, which includes zeroing out Iran's oil sales.

The reward was declared by US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, who made a series of allegations against Iran and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) during a press conference he joined on Wednesday.

Hook also announced new sanctions against what he called a "shipping network" including 11 vessels and 25 entities and individuals involved in Iran's oil trade.

Late last month, the United States blacklisted the vessel and sanctioned its captain, according to the US Treasury Department.

A report by The Financial Times revealed Wednesday that four days before the US imposed sanctions on the tanker, the vessel’s Indian captain received an unusual email from Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran at the Department of State.

According to several emails seen by the Financial Times, Hook wrote to Akhilesh Kumar on August 26 that the Trump administration was offering him several million dollars to pilot the ship to a country that would impound the vessel on behalf of the US. To make sure the captain did not mistake the email for a scam, it included an official state department phone number.

Hook has emailed or texted roughly a dozen captains in recent months in an effort to scare mariners into understanding that helping Iran evade sanctions comes at a heavy price, the report added.

847/940