US Sanctions Network Supporting Iran's Supreme Leader
The U.S. sanctioned more than 50 people and entities for being part of a “key patronage network” for Iran’s supreme leader, the Treasury Department said in a Nov. 18 news release. The agency also sanctioned Iranian Minister of Intelligence and Security Mahmoud Alavi for human rights abuses. In total, Treasury sanctioned one vessel, nine people and more than 40 entities.
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The designations target the Islamic Revolution Mostazafan Foundation, also known as Bonyad Mostazafan, its leadership and 50 of its subsidiaries. The subsidiaries operate in the energy, mining, logistics, information technology and financial services sectors, which account for a “substantial portion” of the foundation’s “multi-billion dollar economic empire,” Treasury said. Although the foundation was created to “confiscate and manage property” after the Islamic Revolution, Treasury said it now serves as a “source of power, wealth, and influence for the supreme leader and his inner circle.”
“Iran’s Supreme Leader uses Bonyad Mostazafan to reward his allies under the pretense of charity,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. “The United States will continue to target key officials and revenue generating sources that enable the regime’s ongoing repression of its own people.”