US slaps new sanctions on Iran groups for election interference

The US has slapped new sanctions on five Iranian entities for “brazen attempts” to interfere with the US election. The Treasury Department accused the Iranian groups of seeking to spread disinformation and division ahead of the Nov. 3 vote.

The Treasury imposed the fresh sanctions against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the IRGC-Qods Force, the Bayan Rasaneh Gostar Institute, the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union and International Union of Virtual Media. The groups have worked to “sow discord among the voting populace by spreading disinformation online and executing malign influence operations aimed at misleading US voters,” the Treasury said. The Treasury Department separately imposed sanctions against Iran’s ambassador to Iraq. It alleged Iraj Masjedi was a “close adviser” to Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most powerful general, who was killed in January by a US strike. The US Treasury also sanctioned two high-ranking Hezbollah officials — Nabil Qaouk and Hassan Al-Baghdadi, both members of Hezbollah’s Central Council. Qaouk also served as Hezbollah’s military commander in south Lebanon from 1995 until 2010.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden warned Iran would “pay a price” for interfering in the US election if he is elected president. During a more orderly second debate with President Donald Trump, the former vice president looked to take the initiative on foreign attempts to influence voters. Moderator Kirsten Welker asked Biden about revelations from intelligence officials that Russia and Iran had attempted to meddle in the election and obtained voter registration information.

“We know that Russia has been involved, China has been involved to some degree, and now we learn that Iran has been involved,” Biden said, “They will pay a price if I’m elected.”