Treasury Department sanctions Iran's Intelligence Ministry for cyberattack

Sept. 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and its top intelligence official Friday in response to a July cyberattack against Albania.

Cyber actors sponsored by the Iranian government allegedly disrupted Albanian government computer systems, and also leaked government documents and personal information from Albanian citizens.

"Iran's cyber attack against Albania disregards norms of responsible peacetime State behavior in cyberspace, which includes a norm on refraining from damaging critical infrastructure that provides services to the public," said Brian E. Nelson, under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a statement on Wednesday that an investigation concluded Iran was responsible for recruiting four groups that conducted the attack. He said Albania immediately cut diplomatic relations with Iran and ordered the staff at the Iranian Embassy in Albania to leave the country.

The Treasury Department said that the Ministry of Intelligence, led by Esmail Khatib, has directed "several networks of cyber threat actors involved in cyber espionage and ransomware attacks in support of Iran's political goals."

Iran's Ministry of Intelligence had previously been sanctioned for its support of terrorist groups and for alleged human rights abuses against the Iranian people.