US imposes sanctions on Russia and Iran for wrongful detention and hostage-taking of Americans

The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Russia's Federal Security Service and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization for wrongfully detaining Americans. President Biden also announced new steps to punish and deter countries for wrongfully detaining Americans or taking them as hostages. The government has announced additional sanctions on four IRGC leaders, who are accused of being involved in efforts to take hostages. The executive order’s authority was granted under a section of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.