U.S. Enacts New Sanctions Against Iranian Disinformation Network; PGSA Calls Moves Counterproductive

The United States has unveiled fresh sanctions and launched an operation to dismantle an Iranian network that masqueraded as legitimate firms to deceive American businesses and acquire technology for the Iranian military, the State Department said Friday.

Ali Majd Sepehr, an Iran‑based operative, heads the network that defrauded dozens of U.S. technology companies by masquerading as legitimate entities, as stated in a department press release.

Employing counterfeit websites and intermediaries in Dubai to facilitate shipments, the network aimed to obtain advanced equipment such as spectrum analyzers and security detection devices for Iran’s defense sector.

Additionally, the department is offering a reward of up to $15 million for information that can disrupt financing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Alongside announcing sanctions on the network, the U.S. Treasury Department revised a webpage on payments to Iran to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which is prohibited for any U.S. person or institution.

The page discusses Iran’s newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which has been designated under counterterrorism authorities for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support — or goods or services — to or in support of the IRGC.

Any transaction with the PGSA entails sanctions risk, the department warned.

The PGSA responded to the sanctions, condemning the action and characterizing being sanctioned by “a country whose leader takes pride in piracy” as a sign of “positive performance.”

“You will not gain control over the Strait of Hormuz — which you failed to achieve through warfare and diplomacy — by means of sanctions either,” it declared.

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