New U.S. sanctions target Iran-linked networks in Iraq: names, money trails and weapons routes under scrutiny
Euro Times – Washington
The United States has expanded its sanctions campaign against networks it says are helping Iran and its proxies in the Middle East. The latest measures cover individuals and entities in Iraq, the UAE, Lebanon and Türkiye, with Washington focusing on financing, procurement, money transfers and arms-related networks linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force.
According to Reuters, the U.S. government announced new sanctions on September 10 against companies and individuals it says assist Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies, including networks linked to Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq. The action is part of “Operation Economic Outcast,” launched by the U.S. Treasury on August 24 to cut financial resources used by Tehran for the war, missile programs, cyberattacks and support for the IRGC.
Iraq at the center of the sanctions network
The new measures once again place Iraq at the center of the financial confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Earlier Treasury records from the broader campaign identify officials, businessmen, bankers and militia figures whom Washington has accused of financing or facilitating activities of the Quds Force and allied groups. These names were not necessarily designated for the first time on September 10, but form part of the accumulated U.S. sanctions file surrounding the networks targeted by the campaign.
Ali Maarij al-Bahadli: Iraqi oil official
Among the most prominent names is Ali Maarij al-Bahadli, whom the U.S. Treasury Department identified in May 2026 as Iraq’s deputy oil minister. The department accused him of using his positions to facilitate transfers of Iraqi petroleum products benefiting businessman Salim Ahmed Said, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Iran.
The Treasury said al-Bahadli had held several posts in the Oil Ministry since 2018, including heading the licensing and contracts office and serving as deputy minister and acting minister. It accused him of granting companies linked to Salim Ahmed Said rights and facilities to obtain petroleum products and of facilitating the movement of oil from the Qayyarah field to facilities in Khor al-Zubair.
Salim Ahmed Said and allegations of disguising Iranian oil
Iraqi-British businessman Salim Ahmed Said was sanctioned by Washington in 2025. According to a U.S. Treasury statement, his companies operated a network that the United States says sold Iranian oil after blending it or presenting it as Iraqi crude, using ship-to-ship transfers and documents the department said were forged to evade sanctions.
The Treasury accused Said of bribing Iraqi officials in exchange for documents facilitating the marketing of Iranian oil as Iraqi-origin crude. Washington also linked companies and facilities in the UAE and Iraq to him, including the VS Oil Terminal at Khor al-Zubair.
Mustafa Hashim Lazim al-Bahadli: alleged links to Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and the Quds Force
The file also includes Mustafa Hashim Lazim al-Bahadli, also known as “Sayyid Awn,” whom the Treasury described as a leader and economic official in Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq. It said he managed financing for oil-smuggling operations and activities in the metals sector and used companies, projects and government contracts as fronts for the group’s financial activity.
The Treasury said al-Bahadli, as a member of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq’s economic committee, participated in negotiating oil-shipping contracts involving Iran and coordinated with the Quds Force regarding the group’s oil shipments. U.S. sanctions covered four Iraqi companies the department said he owned or controlled in oil, contracting, transport and maritime services.
Mohammed Issa Kadhim al-Shuwaili: weapons procurement allegations
The file also highlights Mohammed Issa Kadhim al-Shuwaili, known as “Abu Maryam,” whom the Treasury described as a senior Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada official. The department accused him of working with Hezbollah-linked figures to arrange financing and logistics for weapons destined for Iraq. Sanctions also included Ahmed Khudair Maksus Maksus, described by Treasury as a former deputy secretary-general of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
Three Iraqi bankers and Quds Force networks
In a separate financial case connected to the same broader network, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions in October 2025 on three Iraqi bankers: Ali Mohammed Ghulam Hussein al-Ansari, Ali Muften Khafif al-Baydani and Aqeel Muften Khafif al-Baydani.
The U.S. Treasury said Ali Ghulam exploited his influence in Iraqi commercial banks to generate revenue and launder money for the Quds Force and Iran-aligned groups. It accused him of managing aspects of Kata’ib Hezbollah’s finances and providing financial services to Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq. The brothers Ali and Aqeel Muften were accused of using their ownership and management of an Iraqi commercial bank linked to the Quds Force to help generate and transfer funds and support Kata’ib Hezbollah.
Al-Muhandis General Company and Baladna
The sanctions map also includes Al-Muhandis General Company, which the Treasury said played a role in weapons supplies through links to the Quds Force and was sanctioned for allegedly supporting Kata’ib Hezbollah and the Quds Force. The Treasury also targeted Baladna, accusing it of providing support and services to Al-Muhandis.
What do the sanctions mean?
Sanctions imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, generally block property and interests in property of designated persons and entities that are in the United States or under the control of U.S. persons. The rules also cover entities owned 50 percent or more, directly or in aggregate, by blocked persons.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the context of the September 10 measures that “Operation Economic Outcast” targets those who continue to stand with the Iranian regime, pledging to pursue actors Washington accuses of financing armed groups, laundering money or helping Iran evade sanctions.
Reuters reported that Washington has also tightened its policy on Iran-related licenses, announcing that it would reject the vast majority of specific license requests while expanding efforts against money laundering and sanctions evasion.
