US imposes sanctions on top Iranian officials after protest violence

Announcing the measures, the US Treasury Department said Momeni "oversees the murderous Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF), a key entity responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters."

The sanctions package also targets multiple senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with Iranian investor Babak Morteza Zanjani, who is accused of having "embezzled billions in funds from the Iranian people."

In a first-of-its-kind move, Treasury also imposed restrictions on digital currency exchanges connected to Zanjani "that have processed large volumes of funds associated with IRGC-linked counterparties."

Despite already maintaining extensive sanctions on Tehran, the United States said it "supports the Iranian people in their protests against the corrupt and repressive regime in Tehran," the agency added.

Under US sanctions rules, any assets held within the United States by designated individuals or entities are frozen. The measures also bar American companies and citizens from conducting business with those listed, with violations carrying the risk of further penalties.

The US action comes as European Union foreign ministers agreed to designate Iran's IRGC as a terrorist organisation, placing the powerful force in the same category as Islamic State and al Qaeda, The Times of Israel reported.

Reacting to the decision, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X, "Repression cannot go unanswered." She added, "Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar described the move as "historic," while an Israeli official said the designation would make it easier to prosecute IRGC members.

Momentum for the decision grew following a violent crackdown on nationwide anti-regime protests earlier this month that reportedly killed thousands, according to The Times of Israel.

Against this backdrop, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said, "It's important that we send this signal that the bloodshed that we've seen, the bestiality of the violence that's been used against protesters, cannot be tolerated."

France and Italy, previously reluctant, backed the move this week, while Israel welcomed what it called the culmination of years of diplomatic effort.

Highlighting Israel's role, Sa'ar wrote on X, "For years Israel has worked toward this outcome, and in recent weeks with even greater intensity," calling the IRGC "the number one force behind the spread of terror and the destabilisation of the region" and saying the decision would curb such activity in Europe while sending "an important message to the men and women of the Iranian people who are fighting for their freedom."

Iran reacted sharply to the designation, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling it a "major strategic mistake" that would fuel conflict.

"Several countries are presently attempting to avert the eruption of all-out war in our region. Europe is instead busy fanning the flames," Araghchi said in a post on X.

"After pursuing 'snapback' at the behest of the US, it is now making another major strategic mistake by designating our National Military as a supposed 'terrorist organization,'" he added.

From Israel's perspective, the designation carries concrete legal implications. An Israeli official said the move would give the EU stronger tools to act against Iran, noting that authorities would now only need to prove affiliation with the IRGC rather than involvement in a specific terror plot. Assets could also be frozen more easily.

Expanding on operational impacts, the official said, "The linkage between law-enforcement bodies within Europe sharing information and cooperating through Europol will be easier," adding that criminal networks would think twice about assisting the IRGC once they realise European agencies are closely watching.

Alongside the IRGC listing, the EU also imposed sanctions on 15 individuals and six entities over serious human rights violations in Iran, including senior officials and IRGC commanders. Additional measures targeted organisations linked to censorship and online disinformation, as well as entities associated with Iran's drone and missile programmes, with the bloc extending restrictions on exports of components used in UAV and missile production, The Times of Israel reported. (ANI)