US sanctions Iraqi factions’ leaders over attacks on American interests
Shafaq News- Washington
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday imposed sanctions on seven Iraqi armed groups’ commanders, accusing them of planning, directing, and executing attacks against US personnel, facilities, and interests in Iraq.
In a statement published by the US Department of the Treasury, the individuals were described as senior figures in some of Iraq’s most violent Iran-backed factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
“These militias operate with near-total impunity,” the Treasury said, accusing them of attacking US personnel and civilians across Iraq, siphoning national resources to finance their activities, and undermining Iraq’s sovereignty and democratic processes.
Key figures sanctioned include Ammar Jasim Kadhim al-Ramahi, an operational commander in Kataib Hezbollah, Radhwan Yousif Hameed al-Mohammad and Hasan Dheyab Hamzah, senior Kataib Hezbollah officials, Safaa Adnan Jabbar Suwaed, a senior Asaib Ahl al-Haq commander, Khalid Jameel Abed Albakhatra and Saeed Kadhim Mukhamis, senior Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada officials, and Husham Hashim Jaythoom, a trainer affiliated with Harakat al-Nujaba. According to the Treasury, several of those designated played direct roles in coordinating attacks, selecting targets, and managing operational planning against US forces and coalition partners in Iraq.
Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada are already listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
As a result of the sanctions, all assets and property interests of the designated individuals within US jurisdiction are frozen, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. The measures also expose foreign financial institutions to potential secondary sanctions if they facilitate significant dealings involving the listed figures.
