Erdogan orders freezing of US Cabinet members' assets
Istanbul, Aug 4: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday announced retaliatory sanctions against members of the US government amid a diplomatic row over a jailed American pastor and said he ordered the freezing of assets of two US ministers, presumably the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary.
During a speech at the Congress for the ruling Justice and Development Party's women's organization in Ankara, Erdogan said that he was responding to the sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump's administration over the case of Pastor Andrew Brunson, imprisoned in Turkey on charges of terrorism since 2016.
"I have told my colleagues to start the process of freezing the assets of the American 'Justice Minister' and 'Interior Minister' if they have any," Erdogan was cited as saying by Efe news.
The equivalent to the Justice and Interior Ministers in the US Cabinet are Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, respectively.
"The US' latest measure against Turkey is completely disrespectful," Erdogan added.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced it was imposing sanctions on Turkey's Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu for their roles in Brunson's imprisonment.
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US Consulate in Dubai reportedly attacked
Dubai: Smoke was seen rising from an area near the United States Consulate in Dubai, according to witness accounts cited by Reuters.
There was no immediate official confirmation on the extent of damage or whether there were any casualties in the incident.
Earlier, the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, was also attacked. Authorities reported damage to the premises, but no casualties were recorded.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran continuing to target US interests in the Middle East following deadly attacks launched on Saturday by Israel and the United States.
Near US embassy in Dubai pic.twitter.com/z5VTZNVxNO
— Sahil Shah (@thesahilsshah) March 3, 2026
