WANA (May 07) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister in a rare move seen as part of Washington’s ongoing pressure campaign against Tehran.
According to the announcement, Ali Maarij Al-Bahadli, Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister, was sanctioned over allegations that he facilitated the diversion of significant amounts of Iraqi crude oil to assist Iran.
The Treasury Department claimed that the Iraqi official abused his governmental position to support operations benefiting Tehran, describing the activity as part of efforts to bypass existing U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Observers view the decision as an unusual step against a senior official currently serving in the Iraqi government, reflecting growing U.S. pressure on Baghdad to scale back its economic and energy ties with Iran.
At the same time, the Treasury Department also added three senior leaders from the Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Asaib Ahl al-Haq groups to its sanctions list, accusing them of acting in support of Iranian interests in the region.
