Washington imposes sanctions on Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister for alleged financial links to Iran and its militias.
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Oil, Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, for facilitating transactions benefiting Iran and Iran-aligned groups. The move targets entities accused of exploiting Iraq’s oil sector to fund Tehran’s regime and military activities.
These sanctions follow a broader US strategy to curb financial flows to Iran, particularly through Iraqi intermediaries. Previous measures have focused on disrupting trade and financial networks supporting Iran’s regional influence.
The Treasury did not specify the immediate market impact, but the sanctions could tighten oil sector oversight in Iraq, a key OPEC producer.