The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Friday against seven commanders of Iran-backed Iraqi militias accused of orchestrating attacks against U.S. personnel and interests.
The individuals—tied to Kata’ib Hizballah, Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haqq, Harakat Al-Nujaba and Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada—were responsible for “planning, directing, and executing attacks against U.S. personnel, facilities and interests in Iraq,” according to the Treasury.
The department identified the senior operatives from the four militias as Ammar Jasim Kadhim Al Rammahi, Radhwan Yousif Hameed Almohammed, Hasan Dheyab Hamzah Hamzah, Safaa Adnan Jabbar Suwaed, Khalid Jameel Abed Albakhatra, Saeed Kadhim Mukhamis and Husham Hashim Jaythoom.
Under the sanctions, all property and interests belonging to the designated individuals within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which “targets terrorists and their supporters, and builds on Treasury’s numerous actions targeting the constellation of Iran-backed terrorist militias.”
“We will not allow Iraq’s terrorist militias, backed by Iran, to threaten American lives or interests,” Scott Bessent, U.S. treasury secretary, stated. “Those who enable these militias’ violence will be held accountable.”
Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that the United States is taking “decisive action” to hold the commanders accountable and called on Iraqi authorities “to take immediate steps to dismantle these groups and prevent them from using Iraqi territory to conduct terrorist activities that destabilize the region.”
