US issues new Iran-related sanctions amid protest crackdown

The Trump administration on Thursday issued new Iran-related sanctions that target what appeared to be shipping, trading and energy companies, according to a post on the US Department of the Treasury website.

The new sanctions come amid Iran’s crackdown on protests, where the clerical establishment has cracked down hard on nationwide unrest since December 28.

The sanctions also target 11 individuals and Fardis Prison, according to the website.

In a statement accompanying the measures, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the action was taken at the direction of President Donald Trump and was intended to hold senior Iranian officials accountable for what Washington described as a violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations.

The Treasury said the sanctions target Iranian leaders and entities involved in directing security forces that have used live ammunition against protesters since demonstrations erupted in December 2025, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries across multiple provinces. US officials also cited reports of assaults on wounded protesters inside hospitals and intimidation of victims’ families.

Among those designated is Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, whom US authorities accuse of coordinating the state response to the protests and publicly calling for the use of force against demonstrators.

The Treasury said the measures were imposed under a series of executive orders targeting serious human rights abuses and Iran’s financial and energy sectors, part of Washington’s broader campaign of maximum economic pressure on Tehran.

Under the sanctions, all property and interests in property of designated persons that fall under US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. The Treasury warned that foreign entities could also face exposure to penalties for engaging in certain dealings with sanctioned parties.

-With Reuters