Washington sanctions senior Iranian officials over crackdown on protests

The U.S. government announced this Thursday the imposition of new sanctions against Iranian officials from the security and financial system sectors, whom it accuses of involvement in the violent suppression of peaceful protests and the laundering of billions of dollars in oil revenues.

Those sanctioned include Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, as well as other senior regional officials, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

Washington maintains that the officials concerned played a key role in coordinating the actions of security forces against the demonstrations, as well as in using banking networks to channel and hide funds linked to the Iranian oil sector.

"The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in announcing the measures. He added that the sanctions seek to hold accountable those who, according to the U.S. administration, benefit from domestic repression and illicit financial practices.

"The Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights," Bessent added.

The sanctions are part of Washington's strategy to increase the diplomatic and economic pressure on Tehran, in a context of protests motivated by the economic situation and the political restrictions imposed by the regime in the country.