US sanctions Iran-linked Iraqi paramilitary group
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- Washington says it is taking action against Kataib Hezbollah and financial networks linked to Iran.
- The US accuses the group of threatening regional security, American personnel and global energy flows.
The United States is taking action against Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Iraqi paramilitary group, as part of what Washington calls Operation Economic Outcast, according to the US State Department.
State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said the measures target Kataib Hezbollah, Hezbollah and broader financial networks that the US says support Iran’s regional activities.
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"Today, the United States is taking action under Operation Economic Outcast targeting Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), Hizballah, and the broader financial networks that sustain Iran’s campaign of regional destabilization," Pigott said.
Pigott described Kataib Hezbollah and individuals linked to it as Iran’s "instruments for projecting violence and subversion across the Middle East."
He said the group threatens Iraq’s security, Lebanon, US personnel and diplomatic facilities in the region, as well as global energy flows.
Kataib Hezbollah is designated as a "terrorist" organization by the United States. The group has rejected calls by the Iraqi government for paramilitary factions to disarm, saying it will retain what it calls "resistance weapons" and continue developing its arsenal.
