The US Department of State announced on Tuesday the designation of Iraq’s movement Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya as a terrorist organization.
Additionally, the group’s Secretary-General, Haidar Mazhar Malik Al-Saidi, has been labelled a “global terrorist.”
In a statement reported by Alhurra TV, the State Department highlighted that Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya is an Iran-aligned militia based in Iraq and part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
This coalition includes numerous terrorist groups and militias allied with Iran, such as US-designated terrorist organizations Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat Al-Nujaba, and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, which have frequently attacked the international coalition against ISIS.
The statement noted that Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks against the US, targeting military personnel in Iraq and Syria.
It emphasized Washington’s commitment to using all available tools to weaken and disrupt the capabilities of Iran-backed groups to carry out terrorist attacks.
Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya, an Iraqi militia group with strong ties to Iran, is part of a broader network of Iranian-backed militias operating in Iraq and the region.
These groups, including well-known entities like Kata’ib Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba, have been involved in numerous attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.
The U.S. designations aim to curb the influence and operational capabilities of these militias, which are seen as significant destabilizing forces in the Middle East.
The move reflects ongoing tensions between Washington and Iran, particularly regarding Tehran’s influence in Iraq and its support for militant groups.
Earlier this month, Iraqi elite counterterrorism forces, which played a pivotal role in defeating ISIS, returned to patrolling the streets of Baghdad, but this time with a new mission: protecting American restaurants from what The Washington Post described as “vandals angry over the Gaza war.”
The Washington Post explained that the Republic has responded to these disturbances by deploying US-trained counterterrorism units throughout Baghdad to prevent further violence.
