US sanctions Iranian officials accused of repressing protests against the government

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is imposing a new round of sanctions against Iranian officials accused of repressing nationwide protests that challenge Iran’s theocratic government.

Included in Thursday’s sanctions is the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, whom the Treasury Department accuses of being one of the first officials to call for violence against Iranian protesters.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also designated 18 people and companies that the U.S. says have participated in laundering money from sales of Iranian oil to foreign markets as part of a shadow banking network of sanctioned Iranian financial institutions Bank Melli and Shahr Bank.

Shadow banking refers to financial activities and institutions that act like banks but operate outside the regulations of the traditional banking system.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the U.S. “stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice” and that Treasury ”will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights.”

The demonstrations in Iran began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, as the country’s economy has been squeezed by international sanctions levied in part over its nuclear program.

During an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report with Bret Baier” on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the protests began peacefully “and the government engaged with the protesters and with their leaders.” But after the 10th day of demonstrations, Araghchi said, “terrorist elements led from outside” the country appeared and made the protests turn violent.

In February, President Donald Trump reimposed a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran in an effort to block its development of nuclear weapons. The campaign included U.S.-led strikes on three critical Iranian enrichment facilities.

The prospect of U.S. retaliation for the deaths of protesters looms over Iran, though Trump, a Republican, has signaled a possible de-escalation, saying the killing appeared to be ending.

Among other things, the sanctions deny the people and firms access to any property or financial assets held in the U.S. and prevent U.S. companies and citizens from doing business with them. However, they are largely symbolic since many of them do not hold funds with U.S. institutions.

Fatima Hussein, The Associated Press