ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US imposes new sanctions on Iran and Russia for interference in the country’s latest presidential elections aiming to “stoke sociopolitical tensions,” the Department of Treasury announced on Tuesday.
“Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a subordinate organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and a Moscow-based affiliate organization of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and its director pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848, the U.S. election interference authority,” said the department in a statement.
The United States held its 2024 election in November, in which the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, secured a decisive victory. He is set to take office on January 20.
The statement emphasized the efforts made by Iranian nationals and IRGC members that have “compromised several accounts of officials and advisors of a 2024 presidential campaign.”
“The Government of the Russian Federation employs an array of tools, including covert foreign malign influence campaigns and illicit cyber activities, to undermine the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and its allies and partners globally,” the statement added.
Washington also accused Moscow of using its intelligence services and government-directed proxies to create deep fake news and AI-generated content aimed at influencing the latest elections.
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC,” it said.
Accordingly, the statement added that the sanctions would block any entities owned directly or indirectly, as well as shared-owned properties.
The United States in late September announced sanctions on seven Iranians it accused of election interference. Three Iranian operatives are also facing criminal charges in connection with hacking Donald Trump’s election campaign.
Cognitive Design Production Center (CDPC) has also been identified as an organization affiliated with IRGC that aims at planning to” incite socio-political tensions among the U.S. electorate,” since 2023.
Five employees of the Iranian cybersecurity firm Emennet Pasargad were sanctioned by the US in November 2021 for interfering in the country’s 2020 presidential elections.
“Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a subordinate organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and a Moscow-based affiliate organization of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and its director pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848, the U.S. election interference authority,” said the department in a statement.
The United States held its 2024 election in November, in which the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, secured a decisive victory. He is set to take office on January 20.
The statement emphasized the efforts made by Iranian nationals and IRGC members that have “compromised several accounts of officials and advisors of a 2024 presidential campaign.”
“The Government of the Russian Federation employs an array of tools, including covert foreign malign influence campaigns and illicit cyber activities, to undermine the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and its allies and partners globally,” the statement added.
Washington also accused Moscow of using its intelligence services and government-directed proxies to create deep fake news and AI-generated content aimed at influencing the latest elections.
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC,” it said.
Accordingly, the statement added that the sanctions would block any entities owned directly or indirectly, as well as shared-owned properties.
The United States in late September announced sanctions on seven Iranians it accused of election interference. Three Iranian operatives are also facing criminal charges in connection with hacking Donald Trump’s election campaign.
Cognitive Design Production Center (CDPC) has also been identified as an organization affiliated with IRGC that aims at planning to” incite socio-political tensions among the U.S. electorate,” since 2023.
Five employees of the Iranian cybersecurity firm Emennet Pasargad were sanctioned by the US in November 2021 for interfering in the country’s 2020 presidential elections.
