US prepares sanctions against Iran

The US government is readying sanctions against parts of the Iranian government.

It includes those involved in the deadly crackdown on Iranian protesters, marking a shift to a more aggressive US stance against the Islamic republic.

The Washington Post reported that sanctions are still being decided but they need to be carefully targeted to avoid alienating the Iranian public. High on the list of targets is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

US President Barack Obama makes a statement condemning Iran's crackdown on protesters at the Marine Corp Base in Kailua, on Hawaii island.(AFP/Jewel Samad)

US officials said the increasingly central role of the Corps in both the economy and protests makes it a target of resentment for the Iranian public, and for tough US sanctions.

The officials also said the aim of any sanctions will be to force the Tehran government to the negotiating table, rather than to punish it.