The US State Department demands that Iraq dismantle the militias and threatens "serious consequences" for their supporters
4/17/2026
The US State Department on Friday evening called on the Iraqi government to dismantle armed factions allied with Iran, threatening their supporters with "serious consequences," following the imposition of sanctions on seven of their leaders.
The US State Department said in a statement: "We affirm our support for a stable, prosperous and sovereign Iraq, but at the same time we call on it to prevent its territory from being used to launch activities that destabilize the region."
The US State Department called on Iraqi authorities to "dismantle the groups allied with Iran," noting that these groups "threaten the lives of Americans as they have planned and attacked American individuals and interests in Iraq, and they undermine the country's sovereignty."
She noted, "We are taking decisive action to hold Iraqi groups allied with Iran accountable," and warned that "those who support militia violence in Iraq will face dire consequences."
Earlier today, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced it had added seven Iraqi faction leaders to its sanctions list, holding them responsible for planning, directing, and carrying out attacks against U.S. personnel, facilities, and interests in Iraq.
The sanctions, according to the statement, included: leaders in Kataib Hezbollah Radwan Youssef Hamid Al-Mohammad, Hassan Dhiab and Ammar Jassim Kazem Al-Ramahi, leaders in Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada Khalid Jamil and Saeed Kazem, leader in Asaib Ahl Al-Haq Safaa Adnan Jabbar Suwaid, and leader in Harakat Al-Nujaba Hisham Hashem. LINK