Affiliation: IRGC/MOIS
Mostafa Sarmadi is an Iranian national and a member of the board of directors of Emennet Pasargad, an Iran-based technology firm. Between August and November 2020, Emennet Pasargad led a state-sponsored Iranian cyber operation targeting the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The operation aimed to intimidate and influence American voters, undermine voter confidence, and sow discord. Activities included obtaining U.S. voter information from state election websites, sending threatening emails to voters, creating and disseminating election-related disinformation, and illicitly accessing content management accounts of several U.S. media entities. On November 18, 2021, Sarmadi and Emennet Pasargad were designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under Executive Order 13848 for attempting to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This designation blocks all U.S.-based property and interests of Sarmadi and Emennet Pasargad, and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them. The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Sarmadi's identification or location, or information preventing or resolving acts of foreign election interference.