Washington DC, May 7 -- The United States on Thursday (local time) imposed sanctions on an Iraqi oil ministry official and senior Iran-backed militia leaders, accusing them of facilitating oil smuggling operations and supporting terrorism-linked activities in Iraq.

The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement that it was targeting individuals and entities involved in exploiting Iraq's oil sector and undermining the country's stability while benefiting Iran and its allied militias.

According to OFAC, Iraq's Deputy Minister of Oil, Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, was sanctioned for allegedly abusing his position to facilitate the diversion of Iranian oil for sale, which was then sold for the benef...