The United States on Friday imposed sanctions against Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and a businessman accused of laundering funds for Tehran, according to Reuters.
Campaign of Pressure
The sanctions are part of President Donald Trump’s campaign of pressure on the Islamic Republic over its crackdown against protesters and attempts to revive its nuclear program.
The US Department of the Treasury accused Interior Minister Momeni of orchestrating a brutal security crackdown in Iran this month.
As head of the country’s law enforcement forces, Momeni was said to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters.
The Treasury also noted that other five other Iranian security officials involved in “violently repressing the Iranian people,” have been financially sanctioned.
The sanctions package also targeted Iranian investor Babak Zanjani and two Britain‑registered digital asset exchanges, accused by the Treasury of channeling funds tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Like rats on a sinking ship, the regime is frantically wiring funds stolen from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world. Rest assured, Treasury will act,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.
Wave of Sanctions
The US has recently sanctioned Iranian security officials and financial networks, accusing them of driving a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrations while laundering billions in oil revenues.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, is among those sanctioned, with the US accusing him of orchestrating the crackdown and urging the use of force against protesters.
Four regional commanders from Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces and the Revolutionary Guard were also sanctioned, accused of spearheading the crackdown in Lorestan and Fars provinces.
Moreover, the Treasury blacklisted 18 individuals and entities accused of running “shadow banking” networks that launder Iranian oil revenues through front companies in the UAE, Singapore, and Britain.
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