Iraq's Sudani Orders Urgent Investigation into "Unrevised Version" Error After Central Bank Backtracks on Freezing Hezbollah, Houthi Assets

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani today, Thursday, ordered an urgent investigation to determine responsibility and hold accountable those responsible for the "error" in the resolution of the Committee for Freezing Terrorists' Funds, which was published in the official Iraqi Gazette.

Al-Sudani's directive came after the Committee for Freezing Terrorists' Funds at the Central Bank of Iraq retracted its resolution that had included groups not linked to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, specifically Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.

Iraqi Government Clarification:

• The government confirmed that the Iraqi side's approval to freeze assets was strictly limited to listing entities and individuals associated with the ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorist organizations, based on a request from the Malaysian side.

• The Committee explained that the inclusion of other names, like Hezbollah and the Houthis, was due to the list being published before its revision, affirming that the resolution in the official Gazette would be corrected by removing those entities.

• The Iraqi government stressed that its "political and humanitarian positions regarding the aggression against our people in Lebanon or Palestine are principled positions that are not subject to one-upmanship," asserting that these positions reflect the will of the Iraqi people to support the right of fraternal peoples to liberation.

Context of Pressure: It is noted that Iranian influence is significant in Iraq through powerful Shia armed groups and supportive political parties in Baghdad. The increasing US pressure on Iraq comes at a time when Iran has been weakened by Israeli attacks on its allies, Hezbollah and Hamas.