US Applies New Unilateral Coercive Measures on Iran

The United States imposed Thursday new unilateral coercive measures on 45 individuals and two entities linked to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). 

According to the U.S. State Department communication, the coercive measures have been levied against an Iranian entity posing a "cyber-threat" (Advanced Persistent Threat 39, or APT39), as well as 45 associated individuals and an alleged "shadow" company, Rana Intelligence Computing Company.

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The State Department justified the announcement by claiming that Iran's Intelligence and Security Ministry targets dissidents, journalists, and international travel companies by recruiting cyber threat groups, shadow companies, and digital pirates. 

Similarly, it argues that "through Rana, on behalf of MOIS, the cyber actors designated today used malicious cyber intrusion tools to target and monitor Iranian citizens, particularly dissidents, Iranian journalists, former government employees, environmentalists, refugees, university students and faculty, and employees of international nongovernmental organizations."

It continues by assuring that these groups and individuals "attacked" at least 15 countries in the Middle East and North Africa and hundreds of people and entities in 30 additional countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.