WANA (Jan 30) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Friday a new round of sanctions against Iran, targeting seven individuals and two entities over what it described as their involvement in human rights abuses and Iran’s security apparatus.

 

According to an official Treasury statement, Eskandar Momeni, Iran’s Minister of Interior, Brigadier General Majid Khadami, head of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Brigadier General Hamid Damaqani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force in Gilan province, have been added to the sanctions list. U.S. officials said the individuals were designated for their direct or indirect roles in domestic repression and security-related activities.

 

The sanctions list also includes Babak Zanjani, an Iranian businessman who has previously drawn international attention due to major financial and oil-related corruption cases inside and outside Iran. The Treasury Department said Zanjani was targeted over alleged financial networks and efforts to help Iran circumvent international sanctions.

 

U.S. officials stressed that the sanctions are part of a broader policy of “targeted pressure” on Iran’s governing and security structures, with a particular focus on human rights concerns.

 

Analysts say the latest sanctions are less about immediate economic impact and more about sending a political signal, underscoring the U.S. intention to maintain personalized and symbolic pressure on senior Iranian officials and security figures.