Iraqi authorities have effectively reversed their decision to include Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Ansar Allah (the Houthis) on the list of entities subject to terrorist asset freezes. This came after an official clarification, and a document issued by the Central Bank of Iraq confirmed that Baghdad’s approval was limited solely to individuals and entities affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaeda.
In a clarification statement, the Committee for Freezing Terrorist Funds—affiliated with the Central Bank—explained that its Decision No. 61 of 2025, published in Issue No. 4848 of the Iraqi Official Gazette on November 17, 2025, was based on a request from Malaysia and UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001), which pertains to freezing the assets of individuals and entities linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda.
The committee added that the published list mistakenly included references to several parties and groups “not involved in any terrorist activities related to the aforementioned organizations.” It clarified that Iraq’s approval was strictly limited to names connected to ISIS and al-Qaeda and that the inclusion of other entities resulted from the list being published before it was finalized. A correction will be issued in the Official Gazette to remove those parties from the list of affiliated entities.
This clarification was supported by an official document from the office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, signed by Acting Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Committee for Freezing Terrorist Funds, Ammar Hamad Khalaf. The document, addressed to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers—Terrorist Funds Freezing Section, and dated December 4, 2025, requested the removal of paragraphs 18–19, which pertain to the inclusion of Hezbollah and the Houthis, from Decision 61. It stated that the committee had not approved freezing their assets and that their names were published before the necessary revisions were made.