The United States introduced sanctions on Friday November 17 against seven individuals reportedly linked to pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, attributing them to recent attacks on its military bases in the region.
The United States unveiled sanctions Friday against seven people it said were affiliated with pro-Iranian militias in Iraq responsible for recent attacks on its military bases in the region.
American forces deployed in Iraq and Syria have been attacked more than 55 times since mid-October, causing minor injuries to dozens of US troops, according to the Pentagon.
The surge in attacks on US troops is linked to the war between Israel and Hamas, which began with a shock cross-border attack by the Palestinian militant group from Gaza on October 7 that Israeli officials say killed about 1,200 people.
In response to the attack and the capture of around 240 hostages, Israel launched a relentless air, land and naval assault on Gaza, killing about 11,500 people, according to Hamas, which has ruled the Palestinian territory since 2007.
The US Treasury said in a statement it has sanctioned six individuals affiliated with the Iran-aligned Iraqi militia group Kata’ib Hizballah, and the leader of another Iraq-based group it said was also involved in attacks against US troops in the region.
“Today’s action sends a message to Kata’ib Hizballah and all other Iran-backed groups that the United States will use all available measures to hold to account any opportunistic actors who seek to exploit the situation in Gaza for their own ends,” Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
