Status of the 'Mahsa Law'; '500 Iranian individuals and entities' sanctioned under Biden administration

The spokesperson for the U.S. State Department announced the imposition of sanctions against 500 Iranian entities and individuals during Joe Biden's presidency. Matthew Miller made these remarks on Monday, September 16, during a press conference in response to a reporter's question. In this press conference, the spokesperson was asked, 'Today, you issued a statement along with other countries on the occasion of the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. You have a law for imposing sanctions, and other countries have done the same. Why don't you take this opportunity to announce sanctions today?' Mr. Miller responded, 'Since the beginning of this administration, we have announced sanctions against over 500 Iranian entities and individuals. Just in the past few weeks, we have announced additional sanctions against Iranian entities and individuals. Some of these sanctions were due to human rights violations, repeated human rights violations, and I think you have seen a consistent pattern that reflects our record in this area. But I do not want to predict any future actions.' Mr. Miller's reference was to the official confirmation of reports about Tehran sending ballistic missiles to Russia, during which the U.S. Secretary of State announced new sanctions against Tehran, including punitive measures against Iran Air. The spokesperson was also asked, 'You are behind in implementing the 'Mahsa Law,' and your report to Congress has not yet been submitted, is that correct?' Mr. Miller replied that 'we are still working on that report. And regarding other actions, stay tuned.' The U.S. House of Representatives passed the 'Mahsa Law' for the second time on April 20 this year as part of the '21st Century Peace Act' alongside a series of other proposals. President Joe Biden also signed the 'Mahsa Law' into effect four days later. According to this law, the U.S. President is required to target all senior officials of the Islamic Republic who violate human rights, including the Supreme Leader and the President of Iran, with sanctions. This legislation also obliges the U.S. government to provide a report to Congress every 90 days regarding individuals responsible for human rights violations in Iran, including Khamenei and Raisi and their related offices and institutions. On the occasion of the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a joint statement expressing solidarity with women and girls in Iran and human rights defenders across all sectors of society who are continuously fighting for fundamental freedoms. The foreign ministers of these countries also referenced issues raised in the United Nations Human Rights Committee's report and criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran for continuing to violate human rights and for not cooperating with this internationally recognized committee. In recent years, extensive sanctions have been imposed by the Biden administration against officials and entities of the Islamic Republic. Following Mahsa Amini's death in custody in September 2022, the U.S. government announced sanctions against the morality police and several officials of the Islamic Republic.