The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on seven Iranian individuals in response to Iran’s efforts to interfere with and influence the 2024 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections. This action is part of a coordinated government response to counter Iranian election meddling operations.
Key Points
- Seven individuals were designated under Executive Order 13848 for their involvement in Iranian election interference activities.
- The sanctions target members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and employees of an Iranian cybersecurity company.
- Treasury officials cited malicious cyber activities like hack-and-leak operations and spear-phishing attempts aimed at undermining confidence in U.S. election processes.
2024 Election Interference
Masoud Jalili, an IRGC member, was sanctioned for compromising accounts of 2024 presidential campaign officials and leaking stolen data to influence the election. Jalili is also accused of targeting a former U.S. government official in 2022.
2020 Election Interference
Six employees of Emennet Pasargad, an Iranian cybersecurity company, were designated for their roles in a 2020 election interference operation. This operation allegedly involved:
- Obtaining U.S. voter information from state websites
- Sending threatening emails to voters
- Disseminating election-related disinformation
Sanctions Implications
The sanctions block all U.S.-based property and interests of the designated individuals. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the sanctioned parties. Treasury officials emphasized their commitment to holding accountable those who seek to undermine U.S. democratic institutions through malicious cyber activities and influence operations.
