The U.S. Places Three Senior Al-Qaeda Members 'Residing in Iran' on Its Sanctions List

On Wednesday, July 30, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it has placed three senior members of Al-Qaeda, who are reportedly based in Iran, on its sanctions list. The three individuals are identified as 'Faisal Jassim Mohammed Al-Amri Al-Khalidi' from Saudi Arabia, 'Yazra Mohammed Ibrahim Bayoumi' of Egyptian descent, and 'Abu Bakr Mohammed Qoumin' from Algeria. According to the U.S. Treasury, these individuals are accused of transferring financial aid, weapons, and fighters from South Asia to the Middle East. As per the department's decision, all American banks, financial institutions, and companies are prohibited from conducting business or any transactions with these individuals. According to the Associated Press, 'Faisal Jassim Mohammed Al-Amri Al-Khalidi' is the head of Al-Qaeda's military commission and a former commander of a battalion linked to the Taliban in Pakistan. 'Yazra Mohammed Ibrahim Bayoumi' is described as the liaison between Al-Qaeda and Iranian officials, while 'Abu Bakr Mohammed Qoumin' is said to be responsible for Al-Qaeda members residing in Iran. Adam Szubin, the U.S. Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated in a press release on Wednesday, 'The Treasury Department is committed to combating Al-Qaeda's terrorist activities and cutting off the group's access to the global financial network.' Al-Qaeda is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Iranian officials have yet to respond to this news. Following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the fall of the Taliban regime, several Al-Qaeda members fled to Iran, and some were arrested and imprisoned by Iranian security forces. Among these individuals is one of Osama bin Laden's wives and their children residing in Iran, which the U.S. National Intelligence Office published a letter from the former Al-Qaeda leader to her last year. This letter, along with bin Laden's will and over 100 other documents, was found by U.S. forces at his residence in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In 2003, Iran provided the United Nations with the names of 225 suspects of Al-Qaeda membership it had detained. These individuals, who were of Arab, African, and European nationalities, had entered Iran illegally. Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a former Al-Qaeda spokesman and a relative of Osama bin Laden, stated in 2013 during a request to a New York district court to dismiss his case that his detention in Iran was 'in collusion with the U.S.' Suleiman Abu Ghaith is a Kuwaiti citizen who, after the September 11 attacks, made threats against American citizens in a video alongside bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. He held the position of Al-Qaeda's spokesman for a time after the September 11 attacks. Iranian officials have consistently denied allegations of harboring Al-Qaeda members.