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WASHINGTON:
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on five Iranian officials it accused of being behind the crackdown on protests and said it was tracking fund transfers from Iranian leaders to international banks, as President Donald Trump maintains pressure on Tehran.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that it imposed sanctions on the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, as well as commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and law enforcement, accusing them of being the architects of the crackdown.
The United States also imposed sanctions on the Fardis prison, where the State Department said the women had “endured cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a video Thursday that Washington’s message to Iran’s leaders was clear: “The U.S. Treasury knows that, like rats on a sinking ship, they are frantically transferring funds stolen from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world. Rest assured, we will track them and you.
“But there is still time, if you decide to join us. As President Trump has said, stop the violence and stand with the people of Iran.”
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi “seems very likable,” but expressed uncertainty about whether Pahlavi would be able to rally support within Iran to eventually take power.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters in the Oval Office, Trump said there was a possibility that Iran’s government could collapse and blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the deadlock in negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran. But on Wednesday he was reluctant to lend his full support to Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, who was ousted from power in 1979.
“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he would behave inside his own country,” Trump said. “And we’re not really there yet. I don’t know whether or not your country would accept your leadership, and certainly if they did, that would be fine with me.”
Trump’s comments went further to question Pahlavi’s ability to lead Iran, after he said last week that he had no plans to meet with him.
Fragmented opposition
Trump said it is possible that the government in Tehran could fall because of the protests, but that in reality “any regime can fail.”
“Whether it falls or not, it’s going to be an interesting period of time,” he said.
Trump, who is closing out the first year of his second term, sat behind his massive Resolute Desk and sipped a Diet Coke during the 30-minute interview. At one point, he held up a thick folder of papers that he said contained his accomplishments since he took office on Jan. 20, 2025.
But he tried to manage expectations for Republicans in November’s midterm congressional elections, noting that the ruling party frequently loses seats two years after a presidential election.
“When you win the presidency, you don’t win the midterm elections,” he said. “But we’re going to work hard to win the midterm elections.”
‘Zelensky’ main impediment to reaching an agreement
Trump, who has fought throughout his presidency to end Russia’s war in Ukraine despite campaign boasts that he could end it in one day, said Zelensky is the main impediment to resolving the four-year-old war.
Trump has frequently criticized both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky, but once again seemed more pessimistic about the Ukrainian president.
Trump said Putin was “ready to make a deal.” When asked what the delay is, Trump said simply: “Zelensky.” “We have to get President Zelensky to accept it,” he said.
Trump will meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday, their first in-person meeting since Trump ordered the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and took control of the country earlier this month.
“She’s a very nice woman,” Trump said of Machado. “I’ve seen it on television. I think we’re just going to talk about the basics.”
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize last year and dedicated it to Trump. She offered to give him her prize, but the Nobel Committee said the peace prize cannot be transferred.
He praised Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice president when he was overthrown. Trump said he had a “fascinating talk” with Rodriguez earlier Wednesday and that “she’s been very good to deal with.”
Trump frequently praised the strength of the U.S. economy during the interview despite lingering concerns among Americans about prices. He said he will take that message with him next week to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he will emphasize “how great our economy is, how strong our employment numbers are, how well we’re doing.”
