Washington D.C. — The United States has imposed sanctions on two organizations accused of orchestrating disinformation campaigns aimed at American voters. The actions target groups linked to Russia and Iran, who allegedly sought to sow discord and undermine trust in the U.S. election process.
Treasury Department officials announced the sanctions Tuesday, asserting that both the Russian-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise and the Iranian Cognitive Design Production Center engaged in efforts to manipulate the upcoming U.S. elections. These activities, according to U.S. intelligence agencies, included the spread of fake videos, fabricated news stories, and misleading social media content.
Bradley T. Smith, Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, stated that both Iran and Russia have targeted U.S. institutions and sought to divide the American public through disinformation. These campaigns were designed to interfere with the democratic process and influence public opinion.
The Center for Geopolitical Expertise, based in Moscow, is accused of creating and disseminating disinformation, including deepfake videos that used artificial intelligence, about U.S. political candidates. In addition to the group itself, the sanctions also target its director, who is said to have worked with Russian military intelligence in areas of cyberattacks and sabotage. This group is also said to have paid U.S. web companies to create pro-Russian content.
The Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, is identified as a subsidiary of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. U.S. officials allege the center has worked to incite political tensions in the U.S. since at least 2023, and U.S. intelligence agencies believe the Iranian government sought to encourage protests in the U.S. related to the conflict in Gaza. Additionally, Iranian operatives are accused of hacking the accounts of numerous U.S. officials.
Ahead of the U.S. elections, intelligence officials concluded that Russia, Iran, and China engaged in activities to undermine faith in American democracy. Russia, it is said, aimed to support the candidacy of Donald Trump, who has been supportive of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Conversely, Iranian operations are believed to have worked against the re-election of Trump.
While U.S. officials have presented evidence, both Russia and Iran have denied the accusations of election interference. A spokesperson from the Russian embassy in Washington stated that "Russia has not and does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries." Iranian officials have yet to respond to requests for comment.
