WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on 13 more entities and 11 more individuals allegedly linked to Iran, according to a statement from the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The individuals sanctioned are all Iranian citizens, including those tied to Iran's law enforcement forces or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and at least three connected to the energy sector, the updated Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list showed.
The entities targeted include a prison in Iran's Alborz province and eight companies based in the United Arab Emirates.
According to the OFAC notice, the assets of individuals and entities placed on the SDN list are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration has been informed that the killing has stopped in Iran and will "watch and see what the process is."
Speaking on Fox News, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday urged the White House to seek diplomacy so as not to "repeat the same mistake," saying that "now there is a calm. We are in full control."
Protests have been held since late December in several Iranian cities. Authorities said they are prepared to address economic grievances, while warning against violence, vandalism and unrest.
Initially peaceful, the protests gradually escalated into violence, resulting in casualties and damage to public property, including mosques, government buildings and banks. Iranian authorities have attributed the unrest to interference by the United States and Israel. ■