Donald Trump imposes fresh sanctions on top Iranian officials over crackdown on protesters

Washington DC: In a major development in the United States-Iran tensions, Washington on Friday (local time) has announced that it has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and other officials, accusing them of repressing nationwide protests that have challenged Tehran’s government. The US Treasury Department, while announcing the measures, stated that Momeni oversees Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces, which it accused of being responsible for thousands of deaths during the peaceful protests.

“Momeni Oversees the murderous Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF), a key entity responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters,” US Treasury Department said.

Fresh Sanctions Also Target Senior Officers Of Irgc

Senior officers, along with Iranian investor Babak Morteza Zanjani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also come under the fresh US sanctions. Zanjani is accused of “embezzling billions in funds from the Iranian people.”

The US Treasury also restricted all the digital currency exchanges directly or indirectly linked to Zanjani “that have processed large volumes of funds associated with IRGC-linked counterparties.”

Despite already maintaining extensive sanctions on Tehran, the United States said it “supports the Iranian people in their protests against the corrupt and repressive regime in Tehran,” the agency added.

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US Sanctions Freeze Assets, Bar Business Ties With Listed Iranian Officials

Under US sanctions rules, any assets held within the United States by designated individuals or entities are frozen. The measures also bar American companies and citizens from conducting business with those listed, with violations carrying the risk of further penalties.

The US action comes as European Union foreign ministers agreed to designate Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist organisation, placing the powerful force in the same category as Islamic State and al Qaeda, The Times of Israel reported.

Reacting to the decision, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X, “Repression cannot go unanswered.” She added, “Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise.”

Israeli Terms US’s Move Historic

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar described the move as “historic,” while an Israeli official said the designation would make it easier to prosecute IRGC members.

Momentum for the decision grew following a violent crackdown on nationwide anti-regime protests earlier this month that reportedly killed thousands, according to The Times of Israel.

Against this backdrop, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said, “It’s important that we send this signal that the bloodshed that we’ve seen, the bestiality of the violence that’s been used against protesters, cannot be tolerated.”

France and Italy, previously reluctant, backed the move this week, while Israel welcomed what it called the culmination of years of diplomatic effort.

Highlighting Israel’s role, Sa’ar wrote on X, “For years Israel has worked toward this outcome, and in recent weeks with even greater intensity,” calling the IRGC “the number one force behind the spread of terror and the destabilisation of the region” and saying the decision would curb such activity in Europe while sending “an important message to the men and women of the Iranian people who are fighting for their freedom.”

Iran reacted sharply to the designation, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling it a “major strategic mistake” that would fuel conflict.

“Several countries are presently attempting to avert the eruption of all-out war in our region. Europe is instead busy fanning the flames,” Araghchi said in a post on X.

“After pursuing ‘snapback’ at the behest of the US, it is now making another major strategic mistake by designating our National Military as a supposed ‘terrorist organisation,'” he added.

The EU also imposed sanctions on six companies and 15 people over human rights violations in Iran. The individuals include senior officials and IRGC commanders.

(with ANI inputs)