Former White House aide and FDD member sanctioned by Iran

The ministry accused Goldberg of "effective participation" in "economic terrorism against the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its citizens."

The sanctions were instituted based on an Iranian law from 2017 "to confront violations of human rights and adventurist and terrorist moves by America in the region," according to Radio Farda.

Goldberg called the sanctions a "badge of honor" in a tweet, drawing support from a number of activists and politicians.

 

Former United States National Security Advisor John Bolton congratulated Goldberg on Monday for "drawing sanctions from the corrupt Iranian regime," saying it showed the "effectiveness of his work."

Goldberg, who called on US President Donald Trump to bring Iran’s economy “to its knees,” served as Director for Countering Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction at the National Security Council.

He has advocated for a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran and promoted an exit from the nuclear deal to White House officials during a period of the administration when the US Secretary of State and national security advisor, then Rex Tillerson and H. R. McMaster, were working to keep the president within the agreement.

The FDD, a Washington-based think tank, and its executive director Mark Dubowitz were sanctioned by the Islamic Republic in September of last year. The sanctions were instituted because the FDD was involved in “designing, imposing and intensifying the impacts of economic terrorism against Iran,” according to a statement by Iran's Foreign Ministry.

In the September statement, Iran threatened the think tank, warning that the sanctions would be "without prejudice to any further legal measures that the other administrative, judicial or security institutions and organizations may take in order to counter, prosecute or punish the above mentioned persons or their other Iranian and non-Iranian collaborators and accomplices for their actions and measures against the Iranian government and people’s national security and interests.”

Sources close to FDD told The Jerusalem Post at the time that the think tank took the threats seriously and had been in touch with law enforcement. However, they said, the organization has no intention to hold back its research to change its tone toward the Islamic Republic.