Trump sanctions key Iranian figures amid assessments of possible military action

Donald Trump's administration announced new sanctions against senior officials and financial networks linked to the Iranian regime, amid growing tension between Washington and Tehran. The move comes as the president has publicly warned that the United States could resort to force if Iran does not agree to negotiate a new nuclear deal.

The Treasury Department reported that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took "additional action" against Iranian officials it holds accountable for the internal repression.

Officials singled out for repression

Among those sanctioned is Eskandar Momeni Kalagari, Iran's interior minister, whom the Treasury identifies as the official overseeing the Islamic Republic's Security Forces, a key structure in the repression of demonstrations inside the country.

OFAC also designated Babak Morteza Zanjani, described by the Treasury as a criminal investor who embezzled billions of dollars in oil revenues that rightfully belonged to the Iranian people and were never fully recovered.

According to the Treasury Department, Zanjani was released from prison to conduct money laundering operations for the benefit of the regime. Since then, he would have financed major projects supporting both the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian state apparatus in general.

Along with Zanjani, OFAC placed two digital asset exchanges linked to his financial network on the sanctions list. The Treasury indicated that these platforms have processed large volumes of funds associated with IRGC-related counterparties.

For the Trump Administration, these operations are part of the mechanisms used by the Iranian regime to evade international sanctions and sustain its power structures.