Justice Ministry says the case, placed under a gag order, involves public servants who allegedly received millions in bribes from companies with the aim of promoting sales deals with Israel’s defense establishment.

Food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies are exempt from sanctions that Washington reimposed on the ayatollah regime last year.

Julio Borges, the foreign minister of Venezuela's shadow government says renewing diplomatic ties with Israel, severed in 2009, is a top priority for President Juan Guaidó.

Turkey says American legislation to impose sanctions against it will not affect Ankara’s use of the Russian S-400 missile defense system even if it passes the US Congress.