US Imposes Sanctions on Iranian Officials and Prison

The United States has imposed sanctions on five Iranian officials and a prison over allegations of their involvement in suppressing protests in Iran.

It has also been reported that the United States is tracking money transferred online by Iranian leaders to international banks. The move comes as US President Donald Trump continues to exert pressure on Tehran.

In a statement, the US Department of the Treasury said sanctions have been imposed on the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and law enforcement forces. They have been accused of being the “key architects” behind the crackdown on protests in Iran.

The United States has also sanctioned Fardis Prison. According to the US State Department, female detainees at the prison have been subjected to “cruel, inhuman, and degrading” treatment.

Following the announcement of the sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a video message that Washington’s message to Iranian leaders is clear: “The US Treasury knows that you are desperately trying to move money stolen from Iranian families—like rats fleeing a sinking ship—through online transfers to banks and financial institutions around the world. Rest assured, we will find it and we will catch you.”

He added, “However, there is still time if you want to join us. As President Trump has said, stop the violence and stand with the Iranian people.”

Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, Iran’s ruling authorities have long blamed their longtime enemies, the United States and Israel, for inciting unrest in the country.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that the government is attempting to address some of the economic problems underlying the protests. He expressed his intention to curb corruption and control foreign exchange rates, which he said would increase the purchasing power of poor people.

The protests that erupted in Iran over rising prices have now become the biggest challenge to the religious leadership established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

According to the US-based human rights organization HRANA, the deaths of 2,435 protesters and 153 individuals affiliated with the government have so far been confirmed.

Since the protests began on December 28, Tehran has taken a hardline stance to suppress them. In this context, President Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in Iran while expressing support for the protesters.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent said, “The United States stands firmly with the Iranian people who are demanding freedom and justice. The Treasury Department will use every tool at its disposal to target those responsible for the regime’s brutal human rights repression.”

The 18 individuals targeted by the sanctions have been accused of being part of a “shadow banking” network involved in laundering proceeds from Iran’s oil and petrochemical sales in foreign markets.