Lawmakers Call for ‘Robust’ Sanctions to Weaken Iran’s Grip on Iraq
Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Greg Steube, R-Fla., an Iraq War veteran, urged the Trump administration on May 28 to impose a wide range of sanctions on Iraq to curb Iran's influence in the country.
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In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the lawmakers said that despite the loss of thousands of U.S. troops in the Iraq War, Iraq has become “nothing more than a puppet of Tehran.” They believe the administration’s sanctions-focused, “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran and its terrorist proxies, outlined in a February memorandum (see 2502050020), should include “an equally robust campaign against Iraqi institutions, which have become essential clients of the Iranian regime.”
While the administration took a “critical first step” by ending a sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to buy electricity from Iran, “more decisive action is required” to end Iran’s control of Iraq, the lawmakers wrote. Specifically, they would sanction Iraqi financial institutions that support Iran, including Al-Rafidain Bank and e-payment system Qi-Card, as well as Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami Mohammed, “who is a key enabler of terrorist funding in Iraq.”
Another recommended target is Iraq’s import of Iranian natural gas, which is a “key revenue stream” for Tehran. The lawmakers also would sanction Iran’s fuel oil smuggling networks in Iraq, as well as Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani and three deputy oil ministers.
Wilson and Steube called for expanding sanctions on Iran-backed militias as well, such as by designating the militia umbrella group Popular Mobilization Forces; its economic arm, the Muhandis General Co.; and the Badr Organization as foreign terrorist organizations. In addition, they would sanction Iraqi politicians and others who facilitate Iran’s control of Iraq, including former Prime Ministers Nouri al-Maliki and Adel Abdul-Mahdi and Chief Justice Jassim Mohammed Abboud.
The State Department declined to comment on the letter. Iraq’s embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment.