The Latest: Iran imposes sanctions on US think-tank

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf (all times local):

9 p.m.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has imposed sanctions on the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies and its CEO for its role in promoting sanctions and “economic terrorism” against Iran.

The think-tank , which led criticism in Washington of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Saturday report by Iranian media, including the semi-official Fars news agency, quoted a statement by Iran’s Foreign Ministry as saying the foundation and its CEO Mark Dubowitz “intentionally” damaged vital interests of Iran through spreading lies and negative campaigning against Iran.

The statement also said the sanctions can be followed by taking judiciary actions against the foundation and Dubowitz and Iranian colleagues.

Under a 2017 law, Iran has occasionally imposed sanctions on American bodies.

But like U.S. sanctions, they have little effect unless a person actively uses the Iranian financial system.

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11:10 a.m.

The head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard says it has successfully test-fired a “new missile” amid growing tensions with the United States and the unraveling of the nuclear deal with world powers.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Guard, said Gen. Hossein Salami told a group of clerics Saturday about the missile test a day earlier.

He called it “one of the successful days of the nation,” but did not give any further details on the weapon or the test itself.

On Thursday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani officially debuted an Iran-made air-defence missile system, the Bavar-373.

Since 1992, Iran has developed a homegrown defence industry.

The U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iran after it pulled out of the 2015 nuclear agreement over concerns about Iran’s missile program and regional influence. The Trump Administration argued the accord did not do enough to limit Iran’s ballistic missile program.

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7:30 a.m.

An Iranian-flagged oil tanker pursued by the U.S. amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington now lists its destination as a port in Turkey.

The crew of the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, changed its listed destination in its Automatic Identification System to Mesrin, Turkey, early Saturday.

However, mariners can input any destination into the AIS, so Turkey may not be its true destination.

The ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed the Adrian Darya’s position as just south of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Adrian Darya was held for weeks off Gibraltar after being seized by authorities there on suspicion of violating EU sanctions on Syria.

The U.S. has a warrant in federal court to seize the ship and has been warning nations not to accept it.