WASHINGTON, Jan 1 (Alliance News): The United States imposed sanctions on entities in Iran and Russia on Tuesday, accusing them of attempts to interfere in the upcoming US elections.
The US Treasury Department stated that a subsidiary of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and an organization linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency sought to stoke social and political unrest in the US to influence voters in the 2024 election.
The Cognitive Design Production Center in Iran has been planning influence operations since at least 2023, according to the Treasury.
The Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), a Russian organization, spread disinformation about electoral candidates, including the production and distribution of deepfakes.
CGE allegedly manipulated a video to level “baseless accusations” against a 2024 vice presidential candidate, although no specific name was mentioned in the statement.
Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the US Treasury, condemned the interference, stating, “The Governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns.”
He further emphasized that the US would remain vigilant against efforts to undermine its democracy.
