US designates Iranians involved in alleged assassination plots

TORONTO

US Department of Treasury on Thursday announced sanctions on members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its external operations arm.

The action targets three individuals and a company affiliated with the IRGC-Qods Force, along with two senior officials of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, according to a Treasury statement.

They are accused of having been involved in plotting external lethal operations against civilians, including journalists and activists, said the statement.

"The United States remains focused on disrupting plots by the IRGC and its Qods Force, both of which have engaged in numerous assassination attempts and other acts of violence and intimidation against those they deem enemies of the Iranian regime," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

"We will continue to expose and disrupt these terrorist activities and efforts to silence opposing voices, particularly those who advocate for respect for the universal human rights and freedoms of the Iranian people," said Nelson.

Sanctioned individuals, entities

Among the individuals sanctioned is IRGC-QF official Mohammad Reza Ansari (Ansari), a longtime member of the group, who has supported the IRGC-QF’s operations in Syria.

Another designated individual is Hossein Hafez Amini (Amini), a dual Iranian and Turkish national based in Türkiye, an associate of the IRGC-QF operating as part of a network in Türkiye.

Amini uses connections in the aviation industry and his Türkiye-based airline, Rey Havacilik Ithalat Ihracat Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (Rey Airlines), to assist the IRGC-QF’s operations, including kidnapping and assassination plots targeting Iranian regime dissidents in Türkiye.

Rey Airlines is also designated for being owned or directed by Hossein Hafez Amini.