The U.S. Seeks to Gather Information for Sanctions Against Those Suppressing Protesters in Iran

The United States intends to collect 'actionable information' about individuals and organizations involved in the suppression of protesters in Iran to target them for sanctions. An unnamed U.S. government official stated on Wednesday that the U.S. government plans to place these individuals on a designated sanctions list. President Donald Trump also tweeted on Wednesday, 'I have great respect for the people of Iran who are trying to take their government back from the corrupt. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time.' Although Trump did not specify what this significant support would entail, according to a government official, the White House is examining all avenues to include individuals or entities that commit human rights violations, censorship, or prevent free assembly in Iran on the sanctions list. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said, 'We need information for this, and currently, a lot of information is available. So we are taking action and gathering information to see what can be done with it.' The official added, 'The U.S. is using all available resources to find actionable information to understand who has committed human rights violations and who uses violence to suppress protesters. This information can then be fed into our sanctions design machine.' Trump has previously mentioned increasing sanctions on Iran, which still does not have a stable economy. However, up to this point, the U.S. government's response to developments in Iran has been diplomatic and verbal. The U.S. has also called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council regarding the unrest in Iran. According to the latest reports, 22 people have been killed and over a thousand arrested during the recent protests in Iran. The aforementioned government official also stated that the U.S. is working to have Iran condemned in the UN Human Rights Council.