New Sanctions Against Iranian Officials Due to 'Interference in Elections' and 'Targeting U.S. Officials'

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on seven Iranian individuals for their roles in attempts to interfere in the U.S. presidential elections in 2020 and 2024. According to a statement released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday, October 6, Bradley Smith, the acting deputy secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, emphasized the continued 'close monitoring by the U.S. government of the efforts by malicious actors to influence or interfere with the integrity of elections' in the United States. He referred to these sanctions as 'part of the broader efforts of the U.S. government' using 'all available tools and authorities' to 'hold accountable those who seek to undermine the institutions of this country.' The statement indicated that the Treasury Department has sanctioned seven individuals linked to efforts supported by the Islamic Republic aimed at disrupting the electoral process in the U.S. It also noted that the sanctioned individuals engaged in cyber activities, including 'phishing attacks and hacking operations aimed at influencing U.S. elections.' The U.S. Treasury accused the Islamic Republic of attempting to target government officials and major election campaigns to undermine public trust in the U.S. electoral system. According to the Treasury, these sanctions were in line with previous similar actions against the Iranian company 'Imen Net Pasargad,' previously known as 'Net Paygard Samavat,' which played a role in influencing the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Activities of 'Imen Net Pasargad' included voter intimidation and spreading misinformation aimed at creating divisions among American voters. Masoud Jalili, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and six employees of the cybersecurity company 'Imen Net Pasargad,' previously known as 'Samavat Paygard Net,' are included in the new U.S. sanctions list. The names of these six members are Ali Mahdavian, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Elaheh Yazdi, Seyyed Mahdi Rahimi Haj Abadi, Mohammad Hossein Abdolrahimi, and Rahmatollah Askari Zadeh. The U.S. Treasury emphasized the 'commitment of the U.S. government to protect its democratic institutions from foreign interference' and warned about the consequences of these sanctions, stating that the assets of those sanctioned will be blocked in the U.S., and any transactions by U.S. individuals and companies with these individuals will be prohibited. About ten months ago, in November 2022, the U.S. State Department had listed Ali Mahdavian, Fatemeh Sadeghi, and Elaheh Yazdi in the 'Rewards for Justice' program.