Iran's election vetting body spokesman says honored to be blacklisted by U.S.

Abaas Ali Kadkhodai

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s election vetting body spokesman said he was honored to be blacklisted by the United States, which sanctioned five members of the Guardian Council for preventing free and fair elections in the Islamic Republic.

“It made us happy to be sanctioned by the enemy of our nation ... I am honored to be sanctioned by America,” Abasali Kadkhodai was quoted as saying by Iran’s state agency IRIB.

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on the members of the Guardian Council and its Elections Supervision Committee over their role in banning of several thousand candidates from running for the parliamentary election on Friday.