ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US Department of the Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against seven Iraqi militia commanders accused of orchestrating attacks against American personnel and interests in Iraq, in a move Washington says targets Iran-backed armed groups operating in the country.
In a statement, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the individuals are senior figures in groups including Kata’ib Hizballah, Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haqq, Harakat Al-Nujaba, and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, which it described as “some of Iraq’s most violent Iran-aligned militia organizations.”
The announcement of the sanctions follows a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran that halted nearly 40 days of war, which began on February 28 after the US and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran.
In retaliation, Tehran and its affiliated militia groups in Iraq carried out thousands of drone and missile attacks against Israel and US interests in the region, including those in the Kurdistan Region.
According to the OFAC, the sanctioned militia commanders have been responsible for "planning, directing, and executing attacks against U.S. personnel, facilities, and interests in Iraq,” adding that the groups “operate with near impunity” while “undermining Iraq’s sovereignty and democratic processes.”
In late March, Kata’ib Hezbollah abducted American journalist Shelly Kittleson in central Baghdad in broad daylight and released her a week later, provided that she should leave the country immediately.