Peregraf- The United States announced new sanctions on Thursday targeting eight individuals and entities accused of supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Quds Force, and two Iraq-based Iran-aligned militia groups designated as terrorist organizations — Kata’ib Hizballah (KH) and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH).
In a statement, the U.S. Department of State said the measures are intended to “disrupt illicit funding streams financing Iran’s malign activities, including Iran’s exploitation of and interference in Iraq’s economy,” while safeguarding Iraqi resources from corruption.
The Department emphasized Washington’s ongoing commitment to countering Iran, describing it as “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” and to preventing the militias from carrying out attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. “We will use all tools at our disposal to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its destabilizing and malign activities that undermine international peace and security,” the statement read.
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224, which provides counterterrorism authorities. According to the State Department, this latest move follows earlier actions on July 3 and September 2, 2025, by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against individuals, companies, and vessels involved in smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi crude. On September 17, 2025, the State Department also designated four more Iraq-based Iran-aligned groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
Washington said the new measures reinforce a broader strategy to weaken Iran’s regional influence and restrict its ability to fund allied militias operating in Iraq.