Among those designated was Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni Kalagari. The US Treasury Department said he oversees Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), which it accused of involvement in the deaths of peaceful protesters.

Also named was Iranian investor Babak Morteza Zanjani, whom the United States accused of embezzling billions of dollars in state oil revenues and providing financial backing to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The move comes as European pressure has also intensified. The European Union agreed this week to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation and to impose additional sanctions on Iranian officials over what it described as serious human rights violations.

Iran has rejected accusations of killing peaceful demonstrators, saying it distinguishes between legitimate cost-of-living protests and what it calls foreign-backed unrest, which it accuses the United States and Israel of fuelling to destabilise the country.

The sanctions also come as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran.

Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday that Tehran was ready for dialogue to ease tensions over its nuclear programme but that there were no concrete plans for talks with the United States, even as Washington has stepped up its military presence in the region.

Follow us on:

Facebook

Instagram

Whatsapp