By The South Asia Times

Washington — The United States on Thursday announced a new round of sanctions targeting senior Iranian officials, security commanders, a prison and a network of companies accused of supporting Tehran’s “brutal crackdown” on peaceful protests, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the measures were aimed at “architects of Iran’s repression,” as the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added multiple individuals and entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. Those designated are subject to asset freezes and secondary sanctions, effectively cutting them off from the U.S. financial system and deterring foreign firms from doing business with them.

Among those sanctioned are several senior figures linked to Iran’s security apparatus, including IRGC provincial commanders Nematollah Bagheri (Lorestan) and Yadollah Buali (Fars), as well as law enforcement commanders Azizollah Maleki and Mohammad Reza Hashemifar. Former senior official Ali Larijani was also listed, along with a number of individuals accused of facilitating financial and commercial activities for sanctioned networks.

OFAC also designated Fardis Prison in Iran’s Alborz province, accusing it of involvement in human rights abuses against detainees, and sanctioned a web of companies in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Iran that U.S. authorities say were used to move funds and trade on behalf of sanctioned Iranian interests. Several of the entities were linked to energy trading, shipping and petrochemicals, including Tejarat Hermes Energy Qeshm and a series of free-zone companies in the UAE.

The Treasury said the actions were taken under multiple executive authorities related to Iran, human rights abuses and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). “Major architects of repression and the financial networks that enable them will continue to face consequences,” Bessent said, adding that Washington would use “every available tool” to hold those responsible for abuses accountable.

U.S. officials said the latest designations underscore a broader effort to pressure Tehran over its treatment of protesters and to disrupt the commercial channels used to generate revenue for sanctioned actors. The move further tightens restrictions on Iranian-linked businesses operating through offshore hubs and signals continued U.S. scrutiny of entities accused of facilitating sanctions evasion.