Iran: Former US General admitted out of 24 newcomers

Iran announced on Saturday that the Islamic State has banned a retired U.S. general and 23 U.S. citizens from so-called “acts of terrorism and human rights abuses.”

The announcement comes as talks in Vienna to suspend the 2015 Iran nuclear deal between Iran and the superpowers have been suspended for nearly a month.

Retired U.S. General Joseph Vottel, who headed the U.S. Central Command, which covers the Middle East, was one of 24 Americans allowed. Other former U.S. Treasury and military officials, ambassadors and business leaders are also on the list.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that they were allowed to “engage in acts of terrorism, glorify and support terrorism and commit gross human rights abuses.”

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal allowed the lifting of sanctions on Iran, which, in exchange for sanctions on its nuclear program, denied what it always wanted to ensure that Tehran could not develop nuclear weapons.

But in 2018, the United States unilaterally pulled out of the deal and re-imposed severe sanctions, prompting Iran to drop its own commitment the following year.