US blacklists 5 Iranians for helping Yemen rebels
Washington, May 23: The US government has unveiled fresh sanctions against five Iranian individuals linked to the country's military who are supporting anti-government forces in Yemen.
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control issued the sanctions on charges that the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps have provided ballistic missile-related technology to Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Following the sanctions, all property and property interests of the designated subject to the US jurisdiction would be blocked. Any American person will be prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
An US Department of the Treasury statement on Tuesday said the weapons were not seen in Yemen prior to the current conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.
"The US will not tolerate Iranian support for Houthi rebels who are attacking our close partner, Saudi Arabia.
"All countries in the region should be on guard to prevent Iran from sending its personnel, weapons, and funds in support of its proxies in Yemen," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.
The Houthis launched missiles at Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on May 9, while previous targets included Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport and a US Navy ship.
The sanction followed US punishment of Iran for alleged "abuse" of the international financial systems.
Any foreign financial institution which "knowingly" facilitate significant transactions for, or persons that provide material or certain other support to, the individuals and entities designated would also risk exposure to sanctions.
Since US President Donald Trump announced his decision to exit the historic Iran nuke deal, the US Treasury has launched several sanctions against Iran.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that Washington will inflict the strongest sanctions on Tehran to force the Islamic republic to change its course.
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Raphinha apologizes for gesture toward Atletico fans after Barcelona's Champions League elimination
Madrid (AP): Barcelona forward Raphinha has apologized for his gesture toward Atletico Madrid fans after his team's elimination in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Raphinha, who didn't play on Tuesday because of a hamstring injury, also criticized the refereeing, making the “robbed” sign with his hands, and later told reporters that Barcelona was “robbed" over the two legs.
The Brazil star is likely to face punishment from UEFA for his actions at the Metropolitano stadium.
While still on the field, he gestured toward Atletico supporters and made a gesture apparently indicating that the rival will be eliminated in the next round. He appeared to tell fans “you are out."
“I apologize for my gesture, which does not reflect my values ??or character,” Raphinha said on Wednesday in a comment to a DAZN post that showed him gesturing to the crowd. "It was an act in a moment of tension, in response to a fan who was disrespecting me.”
Barcelona, seeking to return to the semifinals of the Champions League for the second season in a row, won 2-1 on Tuesday but it wasn't enough to overcome a 2-0 loss at home in the first leg last week.
Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso said it was nonsense for Raphinha to say Barcelona was robbed.
“I respect everyone's opinion, but let's not say that it was a robbery, because it wasn't like that,” Musso said. "We won it on the field. We won 2-0 on the road. It's a team that we respect a lot and are very motivated to play against. It's a great team, but I think that to talk about robbery is just crazy.”
Raphinha did not immediately apologize for his comments about the refereeing.
“To me, it was robbed',” he told reporters on Tuesday. “Not only this match, but the other one as well. The refereeing was very bad. Incredible the decisions that they made. Atletico made a lot of fouls and the referee didn't show a single yellow card.”
Other players also criticized the refereeing over the two legs.
President-elect Joan Laporta said Wednesday that the refereeing was “shameful” and “inadmissible,” and said the club planned to present a formal complaint with UEFA.
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