The United States on March 12 imposed sanctions on four individuals in Iran for supporting the terrorist group al-Ashtar Brigades, based in Bahrain.
The sanctions were imposed in collaboration with Bahrain’s government. The targeted individuals are accused of providing significant support to the al-Ashtar Brigades, including financial, material, or technological assistance.
The US action, “taken in coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain, underscores our collective commitment to disrupting Iran’s destabilizing forces and threats, particularly those which threaten our partners in the region and around the world,” said Brian E. Nelson, US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in a statement.
The statement further said that Bahrain charged many individuals in 2018 due to terrorism-related activities. Several such individuals fled Bahrain to evade prison sentences and settled in Iran, it claimed.
According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Al Ashtar Brigades was founded in 2013 with the mission to overthrow Bahrain’s monarchy and has conducted at least 20 attacks in the country.
The United States has taken action against Iran-backed groups in the Middle East to diminish Tehran’s influence and isolate its affiliates.
The US Department of State labeled al-Ashtar Brigades a foreign terrorist organization in 2018.
The United States announced new sanctions on Tuesday against four individuals in Iran for their support of the Bahrain-based al-Ashtar Brigades, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the US. The sanctions, made in collaboration with the government of Bahrain, target those who have provided financial, material, or technological support to the brigades. This action was confirmed in a statement by the US Treasury Department.
Brian Nelson, the US undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, stated that these sanctions demonstrate a united effort to counteract Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of protecting regional partners and global peace.
This move is part of broader US efforts to curtail Iran’s influence in the Middle East by targeting Iran-backed groups. The al-Ashtar Brigades were officially labeled as a foreign terrorist organization by the US in 2018. The sanctions come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, particularly concerning the conflict in Gaza, the activities of Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the impact on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The US has responded to these challenges with targeted strikes against the rebels.
Source » iranwire