US accuses Iran of using militias to smuggle oil, loot Iraq's resources

The US State Department has accused Iran of using Iraqi militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, to steal the resources of the Iraqi people and divert the proceeds of corruption to serve its own interests and those of the Iranian regime. The statement follows the emergence of intelligence documents regarding oil smuggling in the Jurf al-Sakhar area.

A State Department spokesperson said that Iraqi militias aligned with Tehran use the proceeds of corruption to advance their own interests and those of the Iranian regime, stressing that Washington will continue to target entities facilitating Iran’s financial transactions as part of its “maximum pressure” campaign.

In Iraq, the prime minister has ordered the formation of a committee to investigate oil smuggling in the Jurf al-Sakhar area, according to a statement from the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi parliament has tasked a committee with examining information related to a possible oil smuggling route from the Kirkuk fields and the Kurdistan region, through Iran, and on to Afghanistan.

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