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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The US Department of Treasury on Wednesday issued a fresh wave of sanctions targeting Iranian and Iran-backed entities – including the chief of staff of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi).
Abu Fadak al-Mohammedawi, chief of staff of the Iran-backed PMF, was added to the Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons List of “individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries”.
Mohammedawi was appointed the PMF’s chief of staff last year, replacing Abu Mahdi-Muhandis, who was killed in an American drone strike on January 3, 2020.
The PMF’s official Twitter account congratulated Mohammedawi on Wednesday night for being added to “America’s blacklist”.
Other senior members of the PMF have also been sanctioned by the US.
Falih al-Fayyadh, who leads a government-appointed committee to bring the PMF under central government control, was sanctioned on January 8, for 'connection to serious human rights abuse' in Iraq’s popular protests beginning in October 2019.
Also sanctioned on Wednesday were the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO), and Astan Quds Razavi (AQR), organisations “controlled by the Supreme Leader of Iran”.
“While purportedly charitable organizations (bonyads), EIKO and AQR control large swaths of the Iranian economy, including assets expropriated from political dissidents and religious minorities, to the benefit of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior Iranian government officials”, read a Treasury press release.
The fresh sanctions on Iranian organisations come a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of sheltering al-Qaeda, and announced sanctions against five people part of al-Qaeda or affiliated with the group – including three leaders of Kurdish al-Qaeda batallions.
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