The US on Thursday announced a series of sanctions on Iran in response to a crackdown on protests throughout the country.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions were focused on "key Iranian leaders" involved in the suppression.
At least 2,500 people are reported to have been killed in nationwide demonstrations, with demands focused on the country's shattered economy and political change.
Hrana, a US-based rights group, said 2,403 of those killed were protesters, 12 of whom were children. More than 100 security personnel and government supporters were also killed.
“The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice,” Mr Bessent said. “Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights.”
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated several Iranian officials overseeing parts of the security forces Washington says is violently repressing Iranian citizens. Tehran's security forces have been accused of firing live ammunition at protesters.
Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are also accused of attacking injured protesters in one hospital, as well as assaulting patients, family members and medical workers.
“The officials sanctioned today – and their organisations – bear responsibility for the thousands of deaths and injuries of their fellow citizens as protests erupted in each of these provinces,” the Treasury Department said.
In the same announcement, the US also sanctioned a network Washington says is the main way through which Iran moves tens of billions of dollars' worth of annual trade through the international finance system. The Treasury said the centre of the so-called shadow banking network is the “Rahbar” company, which the US said was established by Iranian banks to manage clients' international transactions.
In a message to protesters on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said “help is on its way” and urged Iranians to continue protesting against the government. He has previously said he is considering taking military action against the Iranian regime.
He said the previous day that any country doing business with Iran would face a tariff rate of 25 per cent on trade with the US.
