Iraq designates the Houthis and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations and freezes their assets.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

In a first-of-its-kind move, the Committee for Freezing Terrorist Funds in Iraq decided to freeze the movable and immovable funds belonging to the "Yemeni Houthi group" and "Lebanese Hezbollah," considering them terrorist entities under Iraqi law. According to official documents, the decision was based on the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Law No. 39 of 2015, and the Terrorist Funds Freezing System No. 5 of 2016, and within the powers of the competent committee. The most prominent aspects of the decision: - A comprehensive freeze on the funds and economic resources of the listed entities and individuals. - The decision included other entities such as Al-Qaeda and "Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya," in addition to individuals associated with them. The inclusion of the Houthis and Hezbollah represents a remarkable development in Iraqi policy, which previously avoided classifying influential regional parties on terrorism lists, in order to avoid internal and regional sensitivities. Reactions: The decision sparked a political division; supporters of the two groups considered the decision a "political bias," while observers considered it a reorganization of the Iraqi financial environment, in light of international, especially American, pressure regarding financial compliance and the prevention of terrorism financing. The political and regional repercussions of the decision are expected to be the subject of widespread discussion in the coming days, amid questions about the future of the relationship between Baghdad and these entities.