US Penalizes Iran, Rebuffs Iraq

As promised, the US has imposed more sanctions on Iran after the missile strike on American targets in Iraq. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury chief Steven Mnuchin announced them Friday, reports Reuters. They hit Iran's manufacturing, mining, and textile sectors, but they also target eight military and national security officials accused of involvement in the missile strike. “We are striking at the heart of the regime’s inner security apparatus,” said Pompeo. The impact? Maybe more symbolic than painful. "Sanctions now touch every part of the Iranian economy and are unlikely to have any further impact," former Justice Department prosecutor Ryan Fayhee tells ABC News. Related developments:

• About the plane: After fresh denials from Iran, Pompeo reiterated that the US thinks Iran shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet this week. “We do believe that it’s likely that plane was shot down by an Iranian missile,” he told reporters, per Politico. “We're going to let the investigation play out before we make a final determination. It's important that we get to the bottom of it.”
• No to Iraq: The State Department rebuffed a request from Iraq that the US send a delegation to discuss a quick withdrawal of America's 5,200 troops, reports a separate story in Politico. "At this time, any delegation sent to Iraq would be dedicated to discussing how to best recommit to our strategic partnership—not to discuss troop withdrawal, but our right, appropriate force posture in the Middle East," said a department spokesperson.

(More Iran sanctions stories.)