US Slaps New Sanctions on Iranian-backed Proxies in Iraq and Syria

In a Friday announcement, the US Treasury Department unveiled a new round of sanctions against Kata’ib Hizballah (KH) and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), including KSS leader Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji and five members of KH.

Over the past month, US forces in Iraq and Syria, which according to official figures number about 2,500 and 900 respectively, have been subject to escalating attacks from Iran-aligned militia groups.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reinforced the necessity of the Treasury Department’s move, stating that “the United States remains committed to using all available tools to counter Iran’s support for terrorism and degrade and disrupt the ability of Iran-backed groups to conduct terrorist attacks.”

In the last month, there have been 60 attacks on US forces resulting in 59 injuries. Nonetheless, all affected personnel have recovered and returned to active duty.

This action aims to freeze all assets held by the affected groups and individuals and threatens to levy sanctions on those who engage or seek to engage in financial dealings with the targeted parties.

Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known as Abu Ala al-Walai and KSS’s secretary general, referred to the US sanctions against him as a “badge of honor” in a Telegram message posted on Friday.

These sanctions come at a time of mounting uncertainty and volatility across the Middle East as Israel continues to wage war against Hamas in Gaza. Statements from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian allude to the claim that direct attacks from KSS and KH will cease when Israel ends its war in Gaza.