Exclusive; USA: The Islamic Republic Uses Iraq's Debt as a Pressure Lever

In an exclusive interview with Voice of America, the U.S. State Department spokesperson emphasized the importance of "liberating Iran's assets," stating, "We believe that removing Iran's money from Iraq is important because, as we have said before, the Islamic Republic uses this money as a pressure lever on its neighbor." Matthew Miller mentioned Oman and Qatar as countries involved in the "liberation of assets." He confirmed that Oman has shown its willingness to receive part of the funds regarding Iraq's debt repayment, considering last week's exemption. Mr. Miller reiterated, "We believe that removing Iran's money from Iraq is important because, as we have said before, the Islamic Republic uses this money as a pressure lever on its neighboring country." He explained that these funds are kept in a fund or account in Oman — "of course, with the same previous restrictions" — and only "non-sanctioned" activities such as "humanitarian aid" are permitted, while all transactions require "approval" from the U.S. Treasury Department. Meanwhile, regarding the issue of dual-national prisoner exchanges, a Persian section reporter from Voice of America asked about the "obstacles" delaying this process, but the State Department spokesperson refrained from disclosing details, emphasizing the "sensitivity of the issue" concerning detainees. However, he assured that the United States is diligently working to "accelerate the process" and return detainees home as soon as possible. The interview also addressed the shutdown of the e-commerce company Digikala due to the publication of images of women without mandatory hijab. In response, the State Department spokesperson expressed concern over the actions of the Islamic Republic, stating that targeting Digikala sends a clear message to the youth of Iran regarding the regime's control over women and girls. Previously, Voice of America reported that one day after the U.S. granted an exemption for Iraq's electricity debt payment to the Islamic Republic, the U.S. sanctioned 14 Iraqi banks for dollar transactions with the Iranian government and its affiliated financial institutions. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Treasury Department stated that the purpose of these sanctions is to prevent money laundering and the transfer of U.S. dollars to the Iranian government. The newspaper quoted U.S. officials saying that the new sanctions began on Wednesday due to new information received by the U.S. that these Iraqi banks assisted the Islamic Republic in money laundering and dollar transfers.