Iran has no diplomatic relations with the United States and U.S. interests in Tehran are handled by the Swiss embassy.

Washington on Wednesday named eight senior Iranian officials, including several cabinet ministers and the commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, as being involved in human rights abuses after Iran's disputed presidential election in 2009.

"This action by the American government is a clear interference in Iran's domestic issues... it is also a political misuse of the human understanding of human rights," state broadcaster IRIB quoted a deputy foreign minister as telling the Swiss envoy.

An executive order signed by President Barack Obama specified that any assets the eight Iranians have in the United States are subject to seizure and bans any transactions with them by American citizens.

Reuters