The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced fresh sanctions on Iranian cyber actors as part of what it called an "unprecedented, whole-of-government, economic campaign" against the nation and its enablers. "We are launching an economic onslaught against Iran's financial connections around the globe. Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. The action, codenamed Operation Economic Outcast, aims to cut the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the financial "lifelines" that support the "leading state sponsor of terror." To that end, the sanctions designate nearly 60 Iran-linked entities, individuals, and vessels across nuclear, missile, oil, and cyber networks, including the digital assets sector. Specifically, the sanctions take aim at a malicious cyber group affiliated with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) that's behind extensive compromises of U.S. critical infrastructure entities and financially motivated cyber theft. "The MOIS directs several networks of cyber threat actors involved in cyber espionage in support of Iran's political goals, which include harming American civilians," the Treasury said. Among those sanctioned are five individuals who were indicted by the U.S. Justice Department last week in connection with carrying out widespread compromises against U.S. entities. They are alleged to be members of the Tehran-based Mabna Institute. The names of the individuals are listed below - - Behzad Mesri, who was designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) twice in March 2018 and February 2019 for his role in targeting and attempted extortion of HBO and for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of the sanctioned Net Peygard Samavat Company, respectively. - Mojtaba Ghal'eh-Kuhi - Keyvan Fayyaz Ghareh Blagh - Saber Shahbazi Balujeh - Mohammad Reza Kadkhoda'i - Arman Kahzadian