Hawzah News Agency (Baghdad, Iraq) - According to the report of al-Nujaba Islamic Resistance Centre for Relations and Media Affairs in Iran, an article firstly released by New York Times on the differences between the US Defense and State Departments over the sanction of al-Nujaba Islamic Resistance, was widely reflected by the international and regional media.
Edward Wong and Eric Schmitt, two columnist of this paper, through an article dealt with the recent actions taken by the US in the Middle East.
According to the article, the attempts made by the US, including the punishment of the Iraqi militia and politicians backed by the Iranian officials, for pushing Iran into an isolation, have generated tensions between Washington and Baghdad, moreover they have created some differences inside the government of Trump.
As mentioned by New York Times, the US secretary of State, Mike Pompeo seeking to impose sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), has acknowledged that, despite the disapproval of Pentagon, the State Department designated an Iraqi militia, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and its leader, Akram Abbas al-Kaabi, as “specially designated global terrorists”.
“The group is funded by the Iraqi government, but the State Department said its loyalty was to Iran”, the paper added.
Portland Chief NA, reflecting the aforesaid issue, stressed the differences between Pentagon and the US Department of State, and then reported that the US government is attempting to pressure Iraq over the embrace of militias linked to Iran.
This report, citing some American politicians in explaining the said claim, points out, “the increasing pressure on Iraq risks infuriating its Parliament, including politicians linked to Iran, which could limit the interests of the US and the movements of its troops based in Iraq”.
The mentioned NA calls the sanction of al-Nujaba and Sheikh Akram al-Kaabi as the cause of differences between Pentagon and US State Department, and then warns that al-Nujaba Movement may retaliates such moves.
AlKhaleej Online also reissued the report of NY and wrote, “there are some differences among the Americans over the sanction of al-Nujaba; the existence of such differences is also affirmed by the US Secretary of State”.
According to the mentioned website, some American politicians are worried about the firm response of the Iraqi militia like al-Nujaba Movement.
The website of Mena-monitor Centre for Analysis and Watch also reported that the sanction of al-Nujaba is a part of the Americans’ puzzle for pressing the IRGC and the groups close to it.
The report adds, “the recent visits of Mike Pompeo of the Middle East have also been done in this regard”.
It should be mentioned, on March ۵, ۲۰۱۹, the Foreign Assets Control Office of the US Treasury Department, following the Executive Order no. ۱۳۲۲۴, officially inserted al-Nujaba Islamic Resistance and its secretary general, Sheikh Akram al-Kaabi, into its sanction list, named SDN.