With military action on hold, the US puts new sanctions on Iran

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. DUBAI—With a decision on military action on pause, the U.S. turned to economic pressure on Iran, rolling out a host of new sanctions on officials it said were responsible for the bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

Top of the U.S. Treasury Department’s new sanctions list was Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s national security council and a close counterpart to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The Treasury Department accused Larijani of coordinating the crackdown, which human rights groups estimate has left thousands dead.

The death toll has risen past 2,600, according to U.S. nonprofit Human Rights Activists in Iran, with more than 19,000 arrests. President Trump had repeatedly threatened to attack Iran if it launched a violent crackdown against protesters, and he has encouraged Iranians to remain in the streets and take over the country’s institutions.

But after being advised the U.S. didn’t have enough forces in the region to deal a substantial blow to the regime and counter any retaliatory strikes, he opted to hold off until more firepower could be brought to bear, officials told The Wall Street Journal. Trump hasn’t decided whether to exercise a military option, they said.

The president’s advisers had also presented him with a range of other options, from cyberattacks to economic pressure. “At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is sanctioning key Iranian leaders involved in the brutal crackdown against the Iranian people," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. The sanctions hit a number of officials, including commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful branch in Iran’s military, and several senior police officials.