US Treasury adds Iraqi firms and figures to sanctions list
Shafaq News – Washington
The US Department of the Treasury imposed new sanctions on Thursday against several Iraqi individuals and companies accused of funneling funds and intelligence to Iran-backed armed factions, particularly Kataib Hezbollah (Iraq Hezbollah Brigades).
In a statement, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the designations aim to dismantle financial and operational networks that channel resources and information to groups the US considers terrorist organizations.
Among the entities sanctioned are Muhandis General Company and Baladna Agricultural Investments, which, according to the Treasury, operated as commercial fronts used to divert Iraqi government contracts and revenues to Kata’ib Hizballah (Iraq’s Hezbollah Brigades). "The Muhandis General Company is controlled by Popular Mobilization Commission Chief of Staff and US-designated Kata’ib Hizballah leader Abd al-Aziz Malluh Mirjirash al Muhammadawi (Abu Fadak)," the statement added.
The companies allegedly served as part of a broader effort to financially empower the group and extend its influence through access to state-linked resources.
The sanctions also targeted three Iraqi banking figures. Ali Mohammed Ghulam Hussein Al Anssari, also known as Ali Ghulam, was accused of exploiting his leadership roles across multiple Iraqi banks to launder funds and facilitate the movement of US dollars for Iranian proxy groups. Treasury officials claimed that “he played a central role in embedding militia financing within Iraq’s financial system.”
Ali Meften Khafeef Al Baidani and his brother Aqeel Meften Khafeef Al Baidani were also designated. The Treasury said the two co-owned and managed a bank linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and collaborated with Ali Ghulam to launder tens of millions of dollars and smuggle commodities on Iran’s behalf. All three reportedly leveraged institutional access to evade oversight and channel funds to sanctioned entities.
In parallel, the Treasury targeted a “Kata’ib Hizballah-linked intelligence network allegedly operated under the IRGC’s direction.”
Hasan Qahtan Al‑Sa’idi was identified as the leader of a surveillance unit that gathered sensitive information on Iraqi and US personnel. His son, Muhammad Qahtan Al‑Sa’idi, and Haytham Sabih Sa’id were also sanctioned for their roles in the same network.
Those that assist the Iranian regime in evading U.S. sanctions, smuggling weapons, and engaging in widespread corruption in Iraq should be on notice.Under @POTUS and @SecScottBessent’s leadership, the Treasury Department will aggressively target you, your property, and your…
— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) October 9, 2025
In September 2025, the US Treasury sanctioned a network led by Iraqi‑Kittitian businessman Waleed al‑Samarra’i for blending Iranian oil with Iraqi oil and selling it under Iraqi identity to evade sanctions.
Earlier in July, the Treasury had imposed sanctions on Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said and affiliated companies and vessels, accusing them of disguising billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil as Iraqi and enabling Hezbollah‑linked financial operations.
