U.S. levies sanctions against Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif

July 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif for working on behalf of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said it targeted Zarif because of his work for Khamenei, whom himself was a target of U.S. sanctions in June.

"Javad Zarif implements the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader, and is the regime's primary spokesperson around the world. The United States is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that its recent behavior is completely unacceptable," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. "At the same time the Iranian regime denies Iranian citizens' access to social media, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif spreads the regime's propaganda and disinformation around the world through these mediums."

Zarif addressed the new sanctions on Twitter.

"The US' reason for designating me is that I am Iran's 'primary spokesperson around the world' Is the truth really that painful? It has no effect on me or my family, as I have no property or interests outside of Iran. Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda," he tweeted.

The June sanctions also targeted eight senior commanders of Navy, Aerospace, and Ground Forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps for "malicious regional activities, including its provocative ballistic missile program, harassment and sabotage of commercial vessels in international waters, and its destabilizing presence in Syria."

The sanctions denied those leaders access to the U.S. banking industry and any entities working with them will be cut off from the U.S. financial system.