US sanctions Iran, Russia over election interference

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on entities in Iran and Russia, accusing them of attempting to interfere in the US election this year.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the entities – a subsidiary of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and an organization affiliated with Russia’s military intelligence agency – aimed to “stoke socio-political tensions and influence the US electorate during the 2024 US election.”

The Cognitive Design Production Center planned influence operations since at least 2023, the Treasury said, while the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) circulated disinformation about candidates in the election and directed and subsidized the creation of deepfakes.

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The Treasury said CGE also manipulated a video to produce “baseless accusations concerning a 2024 vice presidential candidate.” It did not specify which candidate was targeted.

Republican Donald Trump was elected president in November, beating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and capping a remarkable comeback four years after he was voted out of the White House.

“The Governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” Treasury’s Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Bradley Smith said in the statement.

“The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy.”