US warning message: 10 PMF leaders and companies to be sanctioned

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making efforts to prevent the issuance of US sanctions against Iraq, which could target companies and leaders within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a political source revealed to Shafaq News.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, warned that US sanctions could be issued soon, affecting "a list of political figures with armed factions." The list reportedly includes over ten names, some of which are PMF leaders, while others are notable figures with connections to influential political forces.

The source explained that the situation with the US may escalate, with the goal being to control financial flows within Iraq and limit what the US administration refers to as Iran's "proxies," while also halting Tehran's access to hard currency through intermediaries.

Additionally, he noted that "three financial companies and three transportation companies, all operating within the Iraqi oil fleet," would also be included in the blacklist in an effort to curb the smuggling of currency and oil to Iran.

On February 16, a senior Iraqi government source told Shafaq News that the Iraqi government had received official notice of US sanctions targeting five new Iraqi banks involved in illegal financial transfers both within Iraq and internationally.

The source further noted that the US had informed Iraq of a decision to ban the use of electronic payment cards abroad over the next two months, as part of efforts to prevent the smuggling of currency through these cards. This move follows the identification of suspicious financial movements by the US team specializing in tracking financial transactions in Iraq.

Observers suggest that the US sanctions on Iran will also affect Iraq, a key economic gateway for Tehran, though the goal of the sanctions may be to push Iran toward negotiations rather than exacerbate tensions.

The most recent of these sanctions came when US President Donald Trump revoked Iraq’s exemption for importing electricity and gas from Iran as part of new sanctions on Tehran.

On Monday, the US State Department announced sanctions on 16 entities and one vessel involved in Iran's oil and petrochemical industry. Additionally, the State Department and the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed concurrent sanctions on 22 individuals and designated 13 vessels as blocked property for their role in Iran's oil sector.