US revokes visa of former Iraqi finance minister
Shafaq News- Washington
The United States has revoked the visa of former Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami Mohammed Al-Shakarchi after she was placed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's terror watchlist, the US State Department said Friday.
“Sami is no longer present in the United States,” according to the State Department, which did not disclose why she was placed on the FBI list or what information prompted the measure.
Sami served as Iraq's finance minister from 2022 until July 2026 and had previously received recognition from Washington. In 2022, the State Department named her a recipient of its International Women of Courage Award for her work against corruption and her advocacy for women's empowerment.
Read more: Iraq under US financial scrutiny: When corruption meets sovereignty
The award was presented during the administration of former President Joe Biden. Then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former First Lady Jill Biden took part in the ceremony.
US lawmakers have previously raised allegations about Iraqi financial institutions and the movement of US dollars to Iran and Iran-backed groups, though the State Department's statement did not say whether those allegations were connected to Sami's placement on the watchlist.
Earlier this month, Iraqi authorities implicated the former minister in a corruption investigation.
