US Sanctions Iran's Military Officials, Cyber Groups Under 'Economic D-Day'
US President Donald Trump has imposed new sanctions on Iranian individuals, companies, and ships accused of supporting Tehran's military activities, cyberattacks, and illegal oil trade. The measures are part of 'Operation Economic Outcast' or 'economic D-day', an effort to cut off Iran's lifelines.
The US state department said the sanctions target networks involved in buying weapons, gathering intelligence, hacking US infrastructure, and moving Iranian oil to generate revenue for Iran's regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
Two Iran-based groups were targeted: DadeNegar Startup Studio and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC). The US accused DadeNegar of using commercial Chinese satellite images to help Iran identify US forces and bases in the Gulf during Operation Epic Fury.
Seven Iranian officials were sanctioned, including former supreme national security council official Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr and IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi. They are accused of directing military operations and weapons programmes.