US sanctions Iran, Russia for alleged interference in 2024 elections

The United States announced sanctions on Tuesday targeting entities in Iran and Russia, accusing them of attempting to disrupt the 2024 US presidential election through disinformation campaigns designed to influence voters and sow division.

According to the US Treasury Department, the sanctions focus on a subsidiary of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and a Moscow-based organization with ties to Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU). Both entities are accused of executing operations aimed at destabilizing the electoral process.

"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 Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the Treasury. "The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy."

Sanctioned activities revealed

The Treasury disclosed that Iran's Cognitive Design Production Center had been involved in influence operations since 2023, allegedly working to incite tensions within the US electorate on behalf of the IRGC. Meanwhile, the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) is accused of circulating false information about election candidates, creating deepfake videos, and operating fake news websites using generative AI tools.

The Treasury also stated that CGE manipulated video content to spread "baseless accusations concerning a 2024 vice presidential candidate," though it did not identify the individual. The GRU is alleged to have provided financial backing to CGE, supporting a network of 100 websites that disseminated disinformation.

CGE's director was also named in the sanctions, which include measures against US-based facilitators allegedly aiding these operations.

Responses from Russia and Iran

The Russian embassy in Washington dismissed the accusations, stating, "Russia has not and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States. All insinuations about ‘Russian machinations' are malicious slander, invented for use in the internal political struggles in the United States."

Iran's mission to the United Nations has yet to respond to the allegations.

Read more: Iran rejects US accusations of electoral interference

A US intelligence assessment released in October warned of alleged threats from Russia, Iran, and China, particularly in the use of artificial intelligence to generate divisive or deceptive information.