US sanctions Iran’s security chief Larijani, other officials over protest crackdown

The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iranian political and security officials, including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), over the crackdown on anti-government protesters, amid President Donald Trump’s threats of possible military intervention.

“The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on X.

"At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is sanctioning key Iranian leaders involved in the brutal crackdown against the Iranian people. Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights.”

The sanctions freeze the individuals’ US assets and prohibit Americans from doing business with them. While largely symbolic given Iran’s existing sanctions, the move signals mounting US pressure. Larijani is a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Earlier this week, after Trump called on Iranians to “take over” public institutions and “save the names of the killers and abusers,” Larijani accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of killing Iranians. “We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran: 1- Trump 2- Netanyahu,” he wrote on X.

Thousands of protesters are believed to have been killed in demonstrations that began earlier this year, according to activist groups. The Iranian government has described the demonstrators as armed rioters influenced by the US and Israel and said more than 100 security officers have been killed. Independent verification is limited due to an internet blackout.

After heightened rhetoric from Trump, a US strike on Iran appeared imminent late on January 14 Iran shut its airspace, some Israeli towns opened bomb shelters, and the US withdrew personnel from the region. Iran warned of severe retaliation.

Trump later softened his stance, saying Iranian officials told him the killing of protesters had stopped. “They [Iranian officials] said people were shooting at them with guns, and they were shooting back,” Trump said. “And you know, it’s one of those things, but they told me that there will be no executions, and so I hope that’s true.” On January 15, he reiterated that it was “good news” that Iran would not be executing protesters.

The US also intensified sanctions on Iran’s energy sector, targeting 18 firms and individuals involved in oil exports.

By Aghakazim Guliyev