The United States has officially designated Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, an Iraq-based group aligned with Iran, as a terrorist organization. This move is part of the Biden administration's broader strategy to curb the influence of Iran-backed militias amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

 

The U.S. State Department has categorized Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization. Along with the group, its 46-year-old secretary general, Muzhir Ma'lak al-Sa'idi, has also been sanctioned. In a statement, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized the U.S. commitment to countering Iran’s support for terrorism, aiming to diminish the operational capabilities of these Iran-backed groups.

 

 

Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya is a component of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. This group has claimed responsibility for numerous recent attacks on U.S. military personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria. Notably, they were implicated in a January drone strike that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members in Jordan. The State Department noted that this attack was orchestrated by Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya.

 

The designation targets the group for its involvement in acts of terrorism that threaten U.S. nationals and national security. Specifically, it states, "HAAA is being designated for having committed or attempted to commit, posing a significant risk of committing or having participated in training to commit acts of terrorism that threaten the security of United States nationals or the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States." Al-Sa'idi’s leadership role in the organization also brought him under individual sanctions, denying them access to the U.S. financial system.

 

This designation comes amid a heightened period of conflict in the region, particularly with Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. The conflict has galvanized various Iran-backed militias, leading to increased attacks on U.S. military assets. In response, the U.S. has taken retaliatory actions, including a significant airstrike in early February targeting dozens of locations in Baghdad following the killing of three American soldiers.

 

In addition to Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, the U.S. has previously designated other members of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, such as Kata'ib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, recognizing them as terrorist entities due to their activities and affiliations.

 

Furthermore, the U.S. has also sanctioned networks supporting Yemen's Houthi rebels, another Iran-aligned militia. The Houthis have been actively attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, contributing to regional instability amid the broader conflict.

 

The ongoing efforts by the U.S. aim to disrupt and degrade the capabilities of these Iran-supported groups, emphasizing a robust stance against terrorism that threatens American interests and allies in the region.

 

Credit: UPI 2024-06-19

 

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That will worry those Iranians, they just continue to spread death and destruction

58 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

That will worry those Iranians, they just continue to spread death and destruction

Nobody spreads death and destruction like the US. Go back over the past 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 years and tell me how many Iran has killed vs the US.....and all from wars of choice. Evil doesn't get much worse than the record of the US military in the last 60 odd years. 

2 hours ago, retarius said:

Nobody spreads death and destruction like the US. Go back over the past 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 years and tell me how many Iran has killed vs the US.....and all from wars of choice. Evil doesn't get much worse than the record of the US military in the last 60 odd years. 

how about Hitler did he spread death and destruction?

US funding Nazi's as we speak

 

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-us-weapons-azov-a3a555670bedeae2022900621d79aba7

 

The Azov Brigade is among Ukraine’s most effective and popular fighting units but it has been dogged by its origins as a volunteer battalion that drew fighters from far-right circles and criticism for some of its tactics. The U.S. had banned the regiment from using American weapons, citing the neo-Nazi ideology of some of its founders.