Trump targets Iran’s military officials, cyber groups and shippers under 'Op Economic Outcast'

The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iranian individuals, companies and ships accused of supporting Tehran’s military activities, cyberattacks and illegal oil trade, the US state department said Monday.

The measures 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), department spokesperson Tommy Pigott has said.

“Today, the United States took sweeping action against multiple entities, individuals, and vessels enabling the Iranian regime’s destabilizing activities," he said in a statement.

The sanctions, announced on August 24, are part of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Operation Economic Outcast’ or ‘ economic D-day ’, an effort to seemingly cut off Iran’s lifelines.

The US sanctioned DadeNegar Startup Studio and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC).

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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 -- the joint bombing of Iran by the US and Israel on February 28.

The IRGC-CEC was sanctioned for obtaining information about US forces and bases that Washington said was used to support Iran’s targeting efforts. The US said both groups were involved in activities linked to Iran’s military procurement.

The sanctions also target seven Iranian officials accused of directing military operations and weapons programmes. Those named include former supreme national security council official Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi and Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

IRGC Aerospace force commander Sayyid Hossein Mousavi Eftekhari and Iran’s conventional military commander Amir Hatami were sanctioned over their roles in the country’s ballistic missile and drone programmes.

Deputy defence minister for industrial and research affairs Seyyed Mahdi Farahi was targeted over his role in weapons procurement. Reza Talaei-Nik, spokesperson for Iran’s defence ministry, was also sanctioned.

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The US has also sanctioned an Iranian cyber group accused of hacking US critical infrastructure. Pigott said this was coordinated with the FBI, which last week charged eight Iranian nationals over cyberattacks on US energy companies, defence firms, hospitals and government offices.

The US rewards for justice programme is offering up to $10 million for information on five people accused of carrying out the attacks on behalf of Iran.