FILE (Photo by Biden-Harris Presidential Transition/Sipa USA)
NEW YORK (77 WABC) — There are reported ongoing threats against U.S. officials from Iran’s Islamic revolutionary guard.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tuesday confirmed the “ongoing threat” against past and present American officials. The revelation during a senate foreign relations committee hearing during questioning from republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
It comes weeks after news that the State Department is paying $2 million dollars a month to protect officials including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Blinken revealed that such attacks against us officials have gone up 400% from 2019 to 2020.
That time frame marks the U.S. pull out from the Iranian nuclear agreement and the designation of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization.
During the hearing, Blinken was pressed by Republican and Democratic members on the Biden administration’s decision to pursue re-entering the nuclear deal. Blinken defended the move, saying it is the “best way to address the nuclear challenge posed by Iran….”
Iran has pushed for the IRGC to be removed from the foreign terrorist organization designation.
