Iraq had officially designated the Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemeni Houthis as “terrorist organizations” and ordered the freezing of all their financial assets, according to decisions published in the latest issue of the Iraqi Official Gazette, the government’s official publication. However, the country reversed its decision just minutes after the announcement.
These designations appeared in Issue No. 4848 of the Official Gazette, where government decisions take effect immediately upon publication. In total, 24 entities were classified as terrorist organizations, with Hezbollah and the Houthis specifically targeted for “involvement in terrorist acts.”
The Committee Responsible for Freezing Terrorist Funds, operating under the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, is chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank, Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, assisted by the head of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Office. The committee also includes senior officials from the Ministries of Finance, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Commerce, Communications, and Science and Technology, as well as representatives from the Integrity Commission, the Anti-Terrorism Service, and intelligence agencies.
Hezbollah is also classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and several other countries.
However, shortly after the publication of this decision, the Iraqi News Agency announced that a correction would be made. According to the agency, what had been published in the Official Gazette regarding the freezing of Hezbollah’s and the Houthis’ funds “will be rectified.”
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