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The US has begun 2025 by imposing sanctions on Russian and Iranian entities accused of attempting to meddle in the 2024 US presidential election. These new measures, announced by the US Treasury and State Departments on December 31st, 2024, aim to disrupt the efforts of foreign actors attempting to influence American democracy.
The Treasury Department specifically sanctioned a subsidiary of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Cognitive Design Production Center (CDPC). The CDPC is alleged to have been involved in social engineering efforts to access individuals with direct ties to both the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns, facilitating their efforts to disrupt the election process. In a parallel move, the State Department targeted the Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) based in Moscow, along with its director, Valery Korovin. CGE is reportedly connected to Russian military intelligence (GRU) and is accused of directing disinformation campaigns, including the creation of deepfakes to undermine candidates in the 2024 race.
Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, explained in the Treasury’s press release that both the Russian and Iranian governments attempted to deepen political divides in the United States through misinformation. The sanctions specifically target any assets or interests these entities hold in the US or under American jurisdiction, effectively freezing them and requiring their disclosure.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, added that these sanctions build on prior efforts to curb Iran’s influence operations and Russia’s global malign activities, including illicit cyber operations.
While foreign interference attempts have been a recurring concern in the U.S., experts have asserted that such efforts have not been substantial enough to alter election outcomes. Nonetheless, these new sanctions demonstrate continued vigilance in protecting US democratic processes from external threats.
