Citing reports of mass killings on a staggering scale, the Trump administration on Friday slapped sanctions on senior Iranian leaders accused of overseeing the brutal crackdown in the streets of Iranian cities.

The brutal violence reportedly has left tens of thousands dead.

The State and Treasury Departments announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Iranian officials blamed for violently suppressing nationwide protests against the regime’s economic collapse and corruption.

U.N. officials say the death toll from the crackdown may exceed 20,000, based on witness testimony, medical reports, and human rights documentation.

Even higher estimates have emerged from journalists and leaked Iranian data, which suggest more than 30,000 people may have been killed by regime forces during months of unrest.

Treasury officials said that Iran’s security services opened fire on unarmed demonstrators, carried out mass arrests, enforced communications blackouts, and intimidated families of the dead into silence.

Among those sanctioned is Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni Kalagari, who oversees Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces, a key entity blamed for mass killings, forced disappearances, and widespread repression.

Treasury officials said the Law Enforcement Forces worked closely with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, using live ammunition and coordinated raids to crush protests across multiple provinces.

The IRGC Intelligence Organization, led by Majid Khademi, was cited for directing a nationwide campaign of arbitrary detention, violence, and intimidation aimed at destroying the protest movement.

Additional sanctions hit IRGC commanders in Tehran, Hamadan, Gilan, and Kermanshah provinces, areas described by U.S. officials as epicenters of some of the deadliest violence.

In Tehran province, reports cited children among the dead, with morgues overwhelmed and bodies stored in trucks and shipping containers.

Treasury officials said security forces in Gilan province killed hundreds of demonstrators, including dozens shot while trying to escape a fire at the Rasht Bazaar in Iran's Gilan province.

Families of victims were allegedly forced to bury loved ones without funerals, while others were pressured to pay ransoms to retrieve bodies from authorities.

The administration also sanctioned Babak Zanjani, a regime-connected investor accused of embezzling billions in Iranian oil revenue meant for the public.

Zanjani, whose death sentence in Iran was later commuted, allegedly used digital asset exchanges to launder money and funnel funds to IRGC-linked operations.

Treasury officials designated two U.K.-registered crypto exchanges tied to Zanjani after determining they processed more than $94 billion in transactions, including funds linked to sanctioned IRGC networks.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Iranian regime has prioritized nuclear weapons, missiles, and terrorist proxies over the basic needs of its people.

“President Trump stands with the people of Iran,” Bessent said, adding that the administration will continue targeting corrupt elites and sanctions evasion networks.

The actions were taken under multiple executive orders addressing human rights abuses, terrorism financing, and Iran’s financial and energy sectors.

Officials said the sanctions advance National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which directs maximum economic pressure on Tehran.

Despite Iran’s ongoing internet shutdowns, the U.S. reaffirmed support for digital freedom and access for the Iranian people.

Treasury officials warned global financial institutions that assets tied to sanctioned individuals are now blocked and that violations could trigger severe penalties.

The message Friday was clear: the United States is escalating pressure — and Iran’s leaders are being held accountable for mass death.