US sanctions Iraqi minister accused of aiding Iran oil sales

US Treasury sanctions target Iraq’s deputy oil minister for allegedly aiding Iran in bypassing restrictions on oil exports.The United States Treasury Department has sanctioned Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Oil, Ali Maarij al-Bahadly, for allegedly helping Iran to sell its oil.The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said it was taking action to increase economic pressure on Iran as negotiations for a deal between Washington and Tehran are showing timid signs of progress, with Iranian officials saying they are reviewing a US proposal.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’: Can US navy ‘guide’ stuck ships out of Hormuz?list 2 of 3Does Trump hold ‘all the cards’ against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz?list 3 of 3Is Iran’s oil storage nearly full – and will it have to cut production?end of listIn a statement on Thursday, OFAC said it was also designating three leaders of the Iran-backed armed groups, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH). Together with the Kataib Hezbollah group, Washington holds them accountable for attacking US personnel and civilians, OFAC added.“Like a rogue gang, the Iranian regime is pillaging resources that rightfully belong to the Iraqi people,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Treasury will not stand idly by as Iran’s military exploits Iraqi oil to fund terrorism against the United States and our partners.”According to OFAC, al-Bahadly has for years used his official positions – first as head of the Iraqi parliament’s oil and gas committee, then within the Iraq Ministry of Oil – to facilitate the diversion of Iraqi oil products to benefit an alleged Iran-affiliated oil smuggler, Salim Ahmed Said and AAH.The US Treasury sanctioned Said last year for running a scheme of companies selling Iranian oil falsely declared as Iraqi oil to avoid sanctions. The smuggler, according to US officials, obtained favoured access to Iraqi oil and procured forged documentation from Iraqi government officials, legitimising illicit oil.