ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The US Treasury Department on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting the “architects” of the Iranian regime’s crackdown on protesters, in a first concrete measure against Tehran as deadly nationwide demonstrations continue through the third week. 

Nationwide protests in Iran have continued for three consecutive weeks, sparked by the rising cost of living, which led business owners in Tehran’s biggest bazaar to go on strike and take to the streets. The unrest later spread to other provinces, with chants increasingly targeting the state. 

“The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, adding that the sanctions were imposed at President Donald Trump’s decision.  

The sanctions targeted the “architects of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators,” the Treasury statement said. 

Among the targeted individuals is Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), who the Treasury said was “one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.” 

Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if the government kills protesters, with Iranian officials dismissing his remarks. Most recently, the US president said that Iran has no plan for large-scale executions and that he would wait and see how the situation unfolds.

On Thursday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that Trump understands that 800 scheduled executions for Wednesday were halted, and that Washington is closely monitoring the situation and “all options remain on the table.” 

“The President and the team are closely monitoring the situation, and all options remain on the table,” Leavitt said in a presser

The Iranian government has also shuttered internet access across the country in a bid to control the unrest.