The U.S. Treasury Department has launched Operation Economic Outcast, a comprehensive sanctions campaign targeting nearly 60 Iranian entities, individuals and vessels across digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping sectors to disrupt revenue channels supporting the Iranian regime and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The initiative includes new sectoral sanctions determinations reflecting Iran's use of cryptocurrency for sanctions evasion and procurement networks spanning the Middle East and East Asia, while also targeting a malicious cyber group directed by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security that compromised U.S. companies in critical infrastructure sectors including energy, healthcare and defense. Treasury also expanded secondary sanctions exposure for foreign entities continuing business with Iran and designated multiple vessels involved in Iran's shadow fleet and oil smuggling operations across jurisdictions including the UAE, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.
Read full article at The Cyber Express ↗The U.S. imposed sanctions against several Iranian nationals for conducting cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, coinciding with the disclosure of a cyber intrusion at a small UK power plant. The timing of these enforcement actions and the reported incident highlights ongoing Iranian cyber threat activity against energy sector assets in Western nations.
The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions against alleged Iranian hackers as part of a coordinated enforcement action described as "economic D-Day." The action follows a Justice Department indictment unsealed the previous week targeting individuals affiliated with the Mabna Institute.
No risk to wider energy system, government tells The Reg
The disruption took place amid a wave of attacks targeting vulnerable industrial devices in the water and energy sectors.