The United States imposed this Tuesday sanctions on entities of Iran y Russiaaccusing them of trying to interfere in the US elections on November 5.
The US Treasury Department indicated in a statement that the entities —an affiliate of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and an organization linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU)— They intended to “stir sociopolitical tensions and influence the electorate during the 2024 elections.”
The Cognitive Design Production Center planned influence operations from at least 2023, the Treasury said, while the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Studies circulated disinformation on the candidates in the elections and directed and subsidized the creation of deepfake content or “deepfakes.”
The Treasury said the Center for Geopolitical Studies also manipulated a video to produce “unfounded allegations about a 2024 vice presidential candidate.” He did not specify which candidate was the target.
Republican Donald Trump was elected president in November, defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and capping a surprising comeback four years after losing re-election to the White House.
“The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our electoral processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns.”Acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Bradley Smith, said in the statement.
And he added: “The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who seek to undermine our democracy.”
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of designated persons located in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked,” the statement explained.
However, the Treasury Department noted that the ultimate goal of sanctions is not “to punish, but to generate positive change in behavior.”
State Department spokesperson Matthew Milleradded in another statement that the United States is closely monitoring “the efforts of malicious actors to influence or interfere with the integrity of our elections.”
“We remain committed to promoting accountability for state-sponsored actors who attempt to undermine public trust in our democratic institutions,” Miller said.
The sanctions are in addition to previous ones imposed on the IRGC, the GRU and other powerful groups. Earlier this year, the US government accused Iranian authorities of trying to undermine confidence in US democratic institutions.
(With information from AFP, EFE and Reuters)
