US Sanctions Directed at Iranian and Russia Entities for Election Meddling
The United States has targeted companies in Iran and Russia involved in campaigns of disinformation before the recent election. These activities are prohibited under the sanctions and those who engage in them will be made to face the music, the US Treasury says.
An Account of Disinformation
The Treasury Department said that the designated groups relied on fake videos, fabricated news and stories, and social media actions to turn the public and erode confidence in the American democracy. Several intelligence agencies have captured both the Iranian and the Russian governments in these coordinated efforts.
Russian Involvement
The Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise is among the organizations on this list of sanctions. American authorities’ claims of the group’s activity include creating deep fakes and fake news sites to spread misinformation. The sanctions also target the director of the involved center, associated with Russian military intelligence attacks on Western structures.
The group is said to have used artificial intelligence in producing fake news and hired US firms in promoting positive sentiments about Russia on social media.
Iranian Operations
Also, Iran’s Cognitive Design Production Center is a division of the Revolutionary Guard Corps that was also targeted. American officials say it engaged in promoting political polarization in the United States such as the protest in relation to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Iran has also been at the center of hack attacks targeting the US officials and fresh interferences with campaigns, one that has stretched the conflict between the two countries to another level.
Broader Election Interference
Labeled by intelligence as operations intended to sow distrust in the American electoral process, the meddling by Russia, Iran and other countries like China was targeted at the voters. Although Russia’s actions seemed to aid the winning candidate, Iran did not like Trump’s Presidential campaign because of his administration’s hostile actions against Iran, which include the exit from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and assassination of General Qasem Soleimani.
Official Denials
Russia and Iran have both denied the allegations. Russian embassy officials with the Russian today interfered in the internal affairs of their counterparts denying the allegations while Iranian representatives have not responded to the statement.
Implications
The sanctions show that the United States has no tolerance for outside interference with its democratic process. Another work that can be said is that they also perform as a threat to other countries planning to take similar actions, stressing possible diplomatic and economic consequences.
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