Iraq’s Olympic Committee shifts leadership as US sanctions take hold
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Iraqi National Olympic Committee said on Friday that its first vice president, Abdul Salam Khalaf will temporarily oversee its activities after the US Treasury placed its president, Aqeel Meften, on a sanctions list.
In a statement, the committee said it had notified the International Olympic Committee of the development two weeks ago, adding that a team of specialized lawyers has been appointed to follow up on Meften’s case with the US Treasury.
The statement denied reports circulating about the sanctions details, describing them as fabrications “aimed at distortion and creating confusion.”
On 9 October 2025, the US Treasury announced a sanctions package it said was tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades). The measures targeted Meften and his brother, Ali Meften Khafif al-Baidani.
