The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran over the suppression of protests, targeting five Iranian officials accused of involvement in the crackdown.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the sanctions list includes Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Restrictions were also imposed on four heads of regional police units and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces in the provinces of Lorestan and Fars.
The Treasury Department noted that Larijani is responsible for coordinating the response to protests in Iran and has publicly called for the use of force to suppress peaceful demonstrations. The commanders placed under sanctions, the department said, used violence against Iranians and were involved in the killing of protesters.
“Since the protests began in December 2025, Iranian security forces have fired live ammunition at demonstrators, depriving the Iranian people of life and freedom,” the statement said.
The United States also imposed sanctions on Fardis Prison, where, according to the State Department, women were subjected to “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.”
In addition, sanctions were introduced against several individuals and entities accused by the Treasury Department of involvement in laundering proceeds from the sale of Iranian oil and petroleum products on foreign markets through so-called “shadow banking” schemes.
The protests, which have continued since late December, are being described as one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s clerical leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Initially, demonstrators voiced demands related to the economic crisis, including the collapse of the national currency, the rial, and soaring inflation. Later, slogans against the authorities emerged, along with calls for the restoration of the monarchy.
