The U.S. Sanctions an Iranian-Backed Iraqi Militia Group

Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned the Iraqi Shiite militia group Harakat al-Nujaba (Nujaba Movement) and its Secretary-General Sheikh Akram al-Kaabi on Tuesday, March 5. According to Reuters, this Iraqi militia group, which has about 10,000 fighters, operates in Iraq and Syria. Reuters reported in 2017 that 'Harakat al-Nujaba' collaborated with Iran to establish a supply route from Iraq to Syria. According to this report, Sheikh Akram al-Kaabi had previously acknowledged receiving assistance from Iran. The U.S. is concerned about Iran's 'growing influence' in Iraq, and in this context, several members of Congress have proposed a plan to sanction Iranian-backed groups in Iraq this September. This plan was proposed by Republican senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and David Perdue. The plan not only sanctions 'Iran-controlled' groups in Iraq but also mandates the U.S. Secretary of State to prepare and publish a list of Iraqi armed groups receiving assistance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Friday, September 9, citing Western sources, that Iran has provided ballistic missiles to Iraqi Shiite groups. This report also mentioned the transfer of technology for producing such missiles to Iraqi groups. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson strongly denied the Reuters report regarding the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Iraq, calling it 'a baseless, meaningless, and ridiculous claim.'