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The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on organizations in Iran and Russia, saying they attempted to interfere in the 2024 US election.
It said that a subordinate organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a Moscow-based affiliate organization of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), along with its director, attempted to stoke socio-political tensions and influence the U.S. electorate.
"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." Cognitive Design Production Center is a subsidiary organization of the IRGC.
Since at least 2023, says the Treasury Department, it has planned influence operations designed to incite socio-political tensions among the U.S. electorate.
Meanwhile, the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise, founded by Aleksandr Dugin, has been directing and subsidizing the creation and publication of deepfakes and circulated disinformation about election candidates.
It used generative AI tools to create disinformation and share it across a massive network of websites designed to imitate legitimate news outlets. The idea was to create false corroboration between the stories, as well as to obfuscate their Russian origin.
The group also said the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, manipulated a video to produce "baseless accusations concerning a 2024 vice-presidential candidate"—though it didn't specify which one.
The sanctions will see all U.S. property and interests in property of the offenders blocked, with sanctions also possible against financial institutions and other persons dealing with the sanctioned individuals.
This includes the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
"Today’s sanctions build on numerous previous U.S. 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," said U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller.
"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."
Last summer, cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said it had uncovered a Russia-linked influence network is using inauthentic websites and generative AI to try and influence the outcome of the election.
And in October, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint statement warning about election interference, highlighting the mimicking of national media outlets such as the Washington Post and Fox News, along with the creation of fake news sites posing as legitimate media organizations and the use of paid influencers.
"The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior," said the Treasury Department.