U.S. Targets Iran’s Repression With New Sanctions as White House Cites Pause of 800 Executions

Overview

• U.S. Treasury announced penalties on senior security figures including Ali Larijani and four regional commanders linked to violent crackdowns in Lorestan and Fars.
• Eighteen individuals and entities accused of laundering oil and petrochemical proceeds through a parallel system tied to Bank Melli and Shahr Bank were also designated, triggering asset freezes and potential secondary sanctions.
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tehran suspended roughly 800 planned executions after U.S. warnings, while President Donald Trump maintained that all options remain under consideration.
• Iran’s judiciary said detainee Erfan Soltani has not been sentenced to death and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News there would be no executions in the immediate term.
• Rights groups report thousands of deaths and large-scale detentions, cite forced confessions and an ongoing internet blackout, as Gulf intermediaries urge restraint and the U.N. Security Council convenes on the crisis.