Escalation: U.S. sanctions Iran's foreign minister

The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday in a dramatic step bound to further escalate tensions with Tehran.

The move to punish Iran’s top diplomat had been anticipated after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last month that President Trump had directed him to sanction Zarif, a forceful advocate of Iran’s point of view. But the sanctions were delayed after State Department officials argued that would close the door to diplomacy.