Supporters of Hezbollah wave the group's flags as well as those of Iran and Iraq during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of Israel's assassination of their leader Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sept. 27, 2025. (Image: AFP)
The Iraqi government announced Tuesday it had dismissed several officials after Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis were added to a list of terrorist organizations.
According to the Iraqi government statement, “The Council approved the recommendations of the investigative committee regarding the content of Iraqi Official Gazette No. 4848, published on Nov. 17, 2025, related to the decision of the Terrorist Funds Freeze Commission. These recommendations included administrative sanctions, including the dismissal of certain relevant officials and the reassignment of others.”
On Nov. 17, a statement from the Official Gazette included the two Iran-backed groups in a list of organizations and entities whose assets would be frozen. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani then ordered an “urgent investigation” into what he called an “error.”
The publication was widely criticized, especially by pro-Iran political figures, in a country that has maintained a delicate balance for years with its Iranian and American allies.
The inclusion of Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels on the list of frozen assets for “terrorism” was described as a “mistake” in a confidential document from the Iraqi Central Bank.
“The committee did not approve the freezing of these assets,” the document said, noting their presence on the list “appears to be the result of an error” and ordering the removal of the two groups.
Washington, which is pressuring Lebanese authorities to disarm Hezbollah, also wants to cut off its funding. The Americans have also long pressured Iraq to disarm its groups and distance itself from Iranian influence.
Israel continues attacks on southern Lebanon, demolishes buildings in Bint Jbeil