US Sanctions Entities In Iran, Russia Over Attempts To Interfere In US Election '24

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (KUNA) -- The United States is imposing sanctions today on the Cognitive Design Production Center (CPDC), a subordinate organization of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise and its director, Valery Mikhaylovich Korovin, affiliates of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), US State Department Spokesman Mathew Miller said Tuesday.
"These actors sought to stoke sociopolitical tensions and undermine our election institutions during the 2024 US general election," Miller added.
"Today's sanctions build on numerous previous US government actions that have disrupted Iran's attempts to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions and Russia's global malign influence campaigns and illicit cyber activities.
The United States continues to closely monitor efforts by malicious actors to influence or interfere in 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.
Meanwhile, the US State Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said today that "is designating a subordinate organization of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and a Moscow-based affiliate organization of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and its director pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848, the US election interference authority."
A statement by the department said, "as affiliates of the IRGC and GRU, these actors aimed to stoke socio-political tensions and influence the US electorate during the 2024 US election."
Today's actions build on sanctions previously imposed on the IRGC, the GRU, and their numerous subordinate and proxy organizations, pursuant to several authorities targeting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and malicious cyber-enabled activities.
"The Governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns," said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.
"The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy." (end)
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