By Munqith Dagher, for the Atlantic Council. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Militias are Fracturing as Iran Turns from Theocracy to Juntocracy The Iranian regime under new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is now functionally, even structurally, different from the […]
By John Lee. A cargo vessel operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) was struck by two projectiles near Umm Qasr on 1st June, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre and MSC. The vessel, the MSC Sariska V, was departing port when the first projectile hit while the pilot was still onboard; […]
By John Lee. An Iraqi government spokesman has said Iraq views recent US sanctions against Iraqi enities, including the Muhandis General Company [Sharakat al-Muhandis al-Amma], as "deeply regrettable," describing it as a unilateral action that contradicts the spirit of friendship and mutual respect between the two countries. Basim Alawadi added that the Prime Minister has […]
By John Lee. The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed new sanctions targeting individuals and companies accused of helping the Iranian regime evade US sanctions, smuggle weapons, and engage in corruption through networks operating in Iraq. According to a statement from OFAC, the designations target Iraq-based financial and […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. US piles pressure on Iran's Iraqi allies with 'terrorist' designations Amid a growing US push to de-fang Iran's allies in Iraq, the Donald Trump administration has designated four major Shiite armed factions as […]
By John Lee. The US Department of State has designated four Iraqi groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), describing them as Iran-aligned militia groups (IAMGs): Harakat al-Nujaba; Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada; Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya; and Kata'ib al-Imam Ali. Full statement from the US Department of State: The United States remains committed to countering Iran, the […]
By John Lee. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions targeting networks involved in transporting and purchasing Iranian oil, including a group of companies led by Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said. The U.S. alleges that Said's network smuggled Iranian oil disguised as, or blended with, Iraqi oil, […]
By Michael Knights, for the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Oil and the Iran Threat Network Iran-backed terrorist groups and militias are developing significant new strands of threat financing using Iraq's oil sector, […]
By Michael Knights and Hamdi Malik for Foreign Affairs. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iran Could Lose Iraq The Axis of Resistance Is Primed to Take Another Hit. Click here to read the full story.
From FinCEN, a bureau of the US Department of the Treasury. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. FinCEN Finalizes Financial Measure Against Iraq-based Al-Huda Bank to Combat Terrorist Financing Today [Wednesday 26th June, 2o24], the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes […]
By John Lee. The US Treasury Department has sanctioned Iraq's Al-Huda Bank, and its owner and Chairman, Hamad al-Moussawi. On Monday, the Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said the bank, "serves as a conduit for terrorist financing, as a foreign financial institution of primary money laundering concern." Along with its finding, FinCEN proposed imposing […]
By John Lee. Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry has reportedly issued a statement urging traders in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to "suspend" the purchase of Iranian products in protest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) missile strikes on a private residence in Erbil. The attacks killed at least four civilians, including two […]
