Secretary Bessent's Announcement of Sanctions Against Iran's Crackdown on Peaceful Protests
WASHINGTON—In a bold move, Secretary Bessent has announced sanctions against the key architects of Iran's brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters. This action comes as the Iranian people bravely take to the streets, demanding basic freedoms and economic security. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking a stand against the shadow banking networks that enable the Iranian elite to steal and launder revenue from the country's natural resources.
Secretary Bessent emphasized, "The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice." He added, "At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is sanctioning key Iranian leaders involved in the brutal crackdown against the Iranian people. We will use every tool at our disposal to target those behind the regime's oppression of human rights."
Among those sanctioned is Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS), who was one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the people's legitimate demands. OFAC has also designated 18 individuals and entities involved in the clandestine 'shadow banking' networks of sanctioned Iranian financial institutions, Bank Melli and Shahr Bank. These networks launder the proceeds of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical sales to foreign markets.
The sanctions are a response to Executive Orders 13553, 13876, and 13902, which target specific individuals and entities involved in human rights abuses, the Supreme Leader, and Iran's financial, petroleum, and petrochemical sectors, respectively. These actions are in line with President Trump's National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which has disrupted the Iranian regime's ability to sell its petroleum and recoup funds amidst the Treasury's campaign of maximum economic pressure.
The announcement highlights the responsibility of senior Iranian officials, including Larijani, for the violence targeting protesters. It also sheds light on the money laundering network of Bank Melli and the role of HMS Trading FZE in the shadow banking mechanism of Shahr Bank. The sanctions have significant implications, blocking property and interests of designated persons and prohibiting transactions involving blocked persons.
This move by Secretary Bessent is a clear message of support for the Iranian people and a step towards holding those responsible for human rights abuses accountable. It also serves as a reminder that the U.S. will not stand idly by while the Iranian regime represses its citizens.
