February 13, 2019

OFAC designates Iranians associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury has designated two Iran-based entities and nine individuals.  According to OFAC, the New Horizon Organization hosts international conferences that support efforts by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to recruit foreigners, including US persons, and to collect intelligence from them.  Four of the designated individuals are associated with New Horizon, including the organization’s executive director, chairman, secretary for international affairs, and special assistant to the chairman.  New Horizon and the four associated individuals are designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224, for assisting, sponsoring or providing support to the IRGC-QF, which was designated in October 2007.  

The Net Peygard Samavat Company and five individuals have been designated pursuant to Executive Order 13606 for their involvement in a malicious cyber campaign designed to implant malware on the computer systems of US counterintelligence agents.  One of the individuals, Hossein Parvar, is alleged to have provided names, websites, email addresses and US person data to parties affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, which was designated pursuant to Executive Orders 13224, 13553, and 13572 in February 2012.
The designations were announced in connection with the indictment of former US counterintelligence agent Monica Elfriede Witt, who is alleged to have delivered national defense information to members of the Iranian government.
Property and interests in property in the US belonging to the designated entities and individuals will be blocked, and persons who engage in certain transactions with the designated parties may be subject to designation.

Dept. of the Treasury press statement | DOJ press release