US imposes sanctions on Russian and Iranian organizations for election interference

The United States has imposed sanctions on two organizations linked to Iranian and Russian efforts to disinform American voters ahead of this year's US elections, UNN reports citing the AP.

Details

US intelligence has accused the governments of Russia and Iran of spreading disinformation, including fake videos, news, and social media posts, to manipulate voters and undermine confidence in the US election.

“The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our electoral processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” said Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

In addition, the US authorities said that a Russian group, the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise, was in charge of creating, funding, and spreading disinformation about American candidates, including fake videos created with artificial intelligence.

In addition to the group itself, the new sanctions apply to its director, who reportedly worked closely with Russian military intelligence agents who also oversee cyberattacks and sabotage against the West.

The center also reportedly used artificial intelligence to create fake videos about American candidates, created dozens of fake news websites that looked legitimate, and even paid American web companies to create pro-Russian content.

The Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, is a subsidiary of the paramilitary Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which the United States has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. U.S. officials claim that the center has been operating since at least 2023 to stir up political tensions in the United States.

U.S. intelligence agencies accuse the Iranian government of seeking to encourage protests in the United States over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. Iran has also been accused of hacking the accounts of several high-ranking current and former U.S. officials, including senior members of the campaign of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Several months before the election, U.S. intelligence officials said that Russia, Iran, and China sought to undermine confidence in American democracy. They also concluded that Russia sought to support the eventual winner, Trump, who had praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, proposed cutting funding for Ukraine, and repeatedly criticized the NATO military alliance.

At the same time, Iran, according to officials, tried to oppose Trump's candidacy. The first administration of the newly elected president terminated the nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions, and ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, prompting Iranian leaders to vow revenge.

Recall

Romanian intelligence services have uncovered a large-scale Russian campaign to support candidate Kelin Georgescu through TikTok. More than a million euros were spent on promotion through a network of paid accounts