Derek Harvey, a retired Army colonel and hard-liner on Iran, was removed after complaints about his management style.
Officials said the United States could take far more draconian measures if President Nicolás Maduro moves forward with steps to consolidate power.
Some argue that the Kremlin cannot be trusted to implement a deal that would allow the U.S. to focus on the Islamic State.
Officials said only that ‘the anticipation and the benefit’ for the hack was in the UAE.
The two leaders spoke informally for an additional hour after their first official meeting.
After certifying that Tehran is adhering to the nuclear deal, officials announced penalties for other “malign activities.”
Sanctions cover non-nuclear activities, including ballistic missile development.
Hackers planted news stories with false quotes attributed to Qatar’s emir, which were then cited to condemn his government.
The properties in Maryland and New York were seized in December on orders from the Obama administration.
The meeting with Sergei Lavrov will be the first face-to-face contact the president has had with a senior official of the Russian government.
