New US sanctions target Iran's Internet censorship -US Treasury

The United States issued fresh Iran-related sanctions on Friday targeting technology company Arvan Cloud, two employees and an affiliated company for their roles in helping Tehran censor the Internet in the country, the Treasury Department said.

Arvan Cloud has a close relationship with Iran's intelligence services and its executives have ties to senior Iranian government officials, the department said.

"The Iranian government has regularly used Internet restrictions and the throttling of Internet speeds to suppress dissent, surveil and punish Iranians for exercising their freedom of expression and assembly both online and offline," the statement said.

The individuals targeted are Pouya Pirhosseinloo and Farhad Fatemi, co-founders of Arvan Cloud, the Treasury said.

The sanctions also targeted ArvanCloud Global Technologies L.L.C., an affiliate based in the United Arab Emirates.