The United States has imposed strict sanctions on Iranian officials responsible for brutal repression during recent mass protests in Iran. The U.S. accuses the Islamic regime, led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of ignoring the basic needs of its citizens despite 47 years of severe economic mismanagement. Allegations also include funding foreign terrorist organizations, supplying weapons, and substantial spending on nuclear programs.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned six Iranian officials on Friday, who oversee security agencies responsible for the violent actions against protesters. Among these is Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni Kalagari, under whom the Islamic Republic of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces operate. According to the U.S., Iran's security agencies are accountable for the deaths of thousands of peaceful demonstrators.
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Additionally, the U.S. has sanctioned Babak Mortaza Zanjani, Iran's wealthiest and most controversial businessman. Zanjani is accused of embezzling billions from Iran's oil revenues. The U.S. alleges that the Islamic regime released Zanjani from prison to engage in money laundering activities and finance major projects linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In March 2016, a lower court sentenced Zanjani to death for money laundering and corruption, a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court.
However, in 2021, Iran's Supreme Court indicated that Zanjani's sentence might be reduced upon repayment of debts, and his sentence has been put on hold pending recovery of embezzled funds. Since then, he remains imprisoned. The U.S. has also sanctioned two digital asset exchanges connected to Zanjani, accused of large-scale transactions for networks linked to the IRGC. This marks the U.S.'s first significant action against digital platforms operating within the Iranian economy's financial sector.
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent stated that President Donald Trump stands with the Iranian people, vowing continuous action against the corrupt Islamic regime and its allied networks. All U.S.-based assets of the sanctioned individuals and their associated entities have been frozen. The U.S. warns that violating sanctions could lead to civil and criminal penalties for both American and foreign citizens.
