Summary The move to sanction the deputy minister comes as the United States and Iran edged toward a temporary agreement to halt the war
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iraq's deputy oil minister and militias over support for Iran, the Treasury Department said.
The Treasury Department accused Iraq's deputy minister Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly of abusing "his position to facilitate the diversion of oil to be sold for the benefit of the Iranian regime and its proxy militias in Iraq."
Iraq's oil ministry and the deputy minister did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In March, Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said Iranian oil tankers stopped by US forces in the Gulf were using forged Iraqi documents. Tehran denied using such documents.
The move to sanction the deputy minister comes as the United States and Iran edged toward a temporary agreement to halt the war, with Tehran reviewing a proposal that would stop the fighting but leave the most contentious issues unresolved.
The US Treasury is also sanctioning three senior leaders of Iran-aligned militias Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada and Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq, it said.
“Treasury will not stand idly by as Iran's military exploits Iraqi oil to fund terrorism against the United States and our partners,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
The sanctions freeze any US assets of those targeted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them.
