Washington draws a “dividing line” for the Baghdad government and urges it to end the influence of the factions.
Washington draws a “dividing line” for the Baghdad government and urges it to end the influence of the factions.
2026-05-08
Shafaq News – Washington
On Friday, the US State Department reiterated its opposition to the involvement of armed factions loyal to the Iranian regime in the next Iraqi government, while also criticizing the ambiguity surrounding the relationship between those factions and the state.
According to NBC News, quoting a US State Department official, there is currently a “blurred” line between the Iraqi state and Iranian-backed militias, urging the new Iraqi government, expected to be formed by Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zubaidi, to “cut ties” with those groups.
The official called on the next Iraqi government to issue a “clear” statement stating that “militias” are not part of it, stressing that American facilities in Iraq were subjected to more than 600 attacks during the military conflict that the region witnessed from the end of February until the ceasefire came into effect on April 8.
This stance coincided with the inclusion, on Thursday, by the US Treasury Department of a new sanctions list that included Iraqi individuals and companies for their connection to Iranian activities. They are: Muhammad Issa Kazem Al-Shuwaili (Abu Maryam): linked to Ali Qasir (under Hezbollah sanctions regulations), Ali Ma’araj Al-Bahadli: linked to Saeed Salem Ahmed, Mustafa Hashem Lazem Al-Bahadli (Awn Al-Sayed): born in 1980, and Ahmed Khudair Al-Maksoosi: linked to the “Sayyid Al-Shuhada Brigades”.
The sanctions targeted four companies linked to Mustafa al-Bahadli: Gulf Energy Maritime Transport, Gulf Oil Services, Gulf General Contracting, and Iraq International Energy. These companies operate in the fields of maritime transport, real estate consulting, and the extraction and trading of petroleum products.
These tougher US moves come at a time when Iraq is undergoing a complex political process to form a new government, amid increasing international and regional pressure.
Observers believe that including these individuals and companies on the “blacklist” in conjunction with the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz sends a clear message that Washington will not tolerate any financial or logistical channels that support activities linked to Iran in the region, which puts the prime minister-designate in front of the challenges of balancing national sovereignty and international obligations.
shafaq.com
