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Biden Administration Imposes First Iran Sanctions

Blinken said the US turned to the Human Rights Council in Geneva to outline its “concerns about the abuses the Iranian government continues to perpetrate against its citizens.” AFP
Blinken said the US turned to the Human Rights Council in Geneva to outline its “concerns about the abuses the Iranian government continues to perpetrate against its citizens.” AFP
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Biden Administration Imposes First Iran Sanctions

Blinken said the US turned to the Human Rights Council in Geneva to outline its “concerns about the abuses the Iranian government continues to perpetrate against its citizens.” AFP
Blinken said the US turned to the Human Rights Council in Geneva to outline its “concerns about the abuses the Iranian government continues to perpetrate against its citizens.” AFP

The State Department blacklisted on Tuesday two Iranian government officials and barred them and their immediate family members from entering the United States, in what appeared to be the first such action against Tehran under the Joe Biden administration.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement the US turned to the Human Rights Council in Geneva to outline its “concerns about the abuses the Iranian government continues to perpetrate against its citizens.”

He announced the designation of Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) interrogators Ali Hemmatian and Masoud Safdari for their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the torture and/or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CIDTP) of political prisoners and persons detained during protests in 2019 and 2020 in Iran.

The statement said these individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the US.

“We will continue to consider all appropriate tools to impose costs on those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Iran,” the Secretary of State said, adding that Washington will also work with its allies to promote accountability for such violations and abuses.

“The United States will continue to support the rights of people in Iran and demand the Iranian government treat its people with respect and dignity,” Blinken noted.

The Biden administration chose to take the action despite its efforts to coax Iran into negotiations over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018, dramatically increasing tensions with Tehran.

The sanctions came amid a rare move by 140 lawmakers urging the Biden administration on Tuesday to seek a "comprehensive" deal with Iran that addresses not just its nuclear program, but a range of other national security issues.

A letter sent to Blinken Tuesday and signed by 70 Republican and 70 Democratic House members, called for an agreement or set of agreements that reinstate limits on Iran's nuclear program, curtail its ballistic missile program, and address its “malign behavior” throughout the Middle East.

"We're encouraging the administration to look at how do you bring Democrats and Republicans together around an issue that should unify us, and that is addressing the risk presented by Iran," said Representative Anthony Brown, who helped organize Democratic signatures.

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World

Pakistan and Afghanistan Announce Eid ‘Pause’ in Hostilities

A part of a drug rehabilitation center destroyed in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike burns, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)
A part of a drug rehabilitation center destroyed in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike burns, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)
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Pakistan and Afghanistan Announce Eid ‘Pause’ in Hostilities

A part of a drug rehabilitation center destroyed in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike burns, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)
A part of a drug rehabilitation center destroyed in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike burns, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday announced a halt in fighting during celebrations for the end of Ramadan, after the deadliest strike in their escalating conflict killed hundreds in Kabul earlier this week.

The governments in Islamabad and Kabul said in separate statements that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye had requested a pause in fighting over Eid al-Fitr and both agreed.

Cross-border attacks have intensified since last month and Pakistan accuses the Taliban authorities of shielding extremists behind attacks on its territory. Afghanistan denies doing so.

On Monday night, Pakistani jets struck a drug rehabilitation center in the Afghan capital, prompting fresh calls for an immediate end to attacks and talks to end the bloodshed.

Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the government agreed to a halt to its operations from Thursday to Monday "in good faith and in keeping with the Islamic norms".

Taliban government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said defending Afghanistan was "a national and religious obligation" and they would respond to any aggression or threat.

Tarar said: "In case of any cross-border attack, drone attack or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan, (operations) shall immediately resume with renewed intensity."

- Mass funeral -

The Taliban authorities have said that around 400 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in Monday's strike and a mass funeral was held for some of the victims on Wednesday.

Afghan Red Crescent Society volunteers carried dozens of simple wooden coffins from a fleet of ambulances to a mass grave in Kabul, dug in the rocky ground of a rainswept hillside by giant excavators.

At the graveside, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said they were innocent victims targeted by "criminals", days before the end of the Muslim holy month.

"We will take revenge," he added and warned those behind Monday night's bombing: "We are not weak and helpless. You will see the consequences of your crimes."

But Haqqani, who until last year had a $10-million US bounty on his head, also suggested that talks were the government's preferred option to halt the fighting.

"We do not want war but the situation has come to this," he said. "So, we are trying to solve the problems through diplomacy."

Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said the ceremony was for identified victims. Some had been sent back to their home provinces for burial.

Identification of other victims was still ongoing, he added.

Health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman told AFP that 50 coffins had been brought to the Kabul site on Wednesday.

- Identification -

Obtaining immediate independent confirmation of exact death tolls is difficult in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with attacks often in hard-to-reach places and with conflicting information.

AFP journalists at the scene on Monday evening and Tuesday morning saw at least 95 bodies extracted from the rubble at the devastated center.

Jacopo Caridi, the Afghanistan country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian NGO, said they also had teams on the ground.

"From what we saw and what we discussed with the others involved in the (emergency) response, we can say that there were hundreds of killed and wounded," he told AFP.

Recovery of bodies has proven difficult because of the debris and collapsed structures, and Caridi described the scene as "shocking", which would make identification more difficult.

"I saw a finger in one place, a foot in another place, a hand in one location. It was really horrific," said Caridi.

- Mediation stalled -

Afghanistan and Pakistan have faced calls for an immediate end to the conflict, with the overall civilian death toll mounting and concern about those displaced.

The UN said before Monday's strike that at least 76 Afghan civilians had been killed in the fighting since February 26, and that more than 115,000 people had been forced from their homes.

Mediation efforts, however, have so far proved fruitless.

China has sent a special envoy to mediate and pledged to play a "constructive role in de-escalating tensions".

Russia's special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Moscow "will be ready" to help broker talks if both sides request it.

"So far, this has not happened," he told pro-Kremlin outlet Izvestia.

World

NATO Allies in Talks on 'Best Way' to Re-open Hormuz Strait

FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo
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NATO Allies in Talks on 'Best Way' to Re-open Hormuz Strait

FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Wednesday that allies of the military alliance were in discussions on the "best way" to open the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large chunk of the world's oil supply normally passes, AFP reported.

"I have been in contact with many allies. We all agree, of course, that strait has to open up again. And what I know is that allies are working together, discussing how to do that, what is the best way to do it," Rutte told a news conference during a visit to a NATO exercise in northern Norway.

US President Donald Trump has urged other global powers to send warships to escort convoys of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

World

Iran President Confirms 'Assassination' of Intelligence Minister

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Iran President Confirms 'Assassination' of Intelligence Minister

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Wednesday that Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib had been killed in the war with the US and Israel, blasting a "cowardly assassination".

In a post on X, Pezeshkian did not say who had carried out the attack but earlier Israel's defence minister announced that Khatib had been "eliminated, AFP reported.

"The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Esmail Khatib, Ali Larijani and Aziz Nasirzadeh, along with some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in mourning," he said, referring to Iran's recently killed security chief and defense minister.

Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that the military killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib. Khatib’s killing follows Israel killing top Iranian security official Ali Larijani and the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force.

Also on Wednesday, Iran launched strikes toward Israel and neighboring Gulf countries, with explosions heard in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and interceptions reported in Saudi Arabia.