TUNIS, December 4. /TASS/. The government of Iraq has added the Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthi rebel movement Ansar Allah to the list of entities whose assets are subject to freezing, the Shafaq News website reported.

According to the news outlet, the relevant resolution was published on November 17. The decision requires all Iraqi banks, financial institutions, and relevant government agencies to freeze both movable and immovable property belonging to individuals and organizations on the list, and to prohibit any direct or indirect financial or banking transactions with them until further notice.

An Iraqi government official told the website that the measure comes "as part of Baghdad's efforts to bring its regulatory framework into line with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Iraq's international obligations to combat terrorism."

Since 2003, Iraqi authorities have sought to distance themselves from the actions of the so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes Hezbollah, the Palestinian movement Hamas and its allies in the Gaza Strip, as well as radical Shia groups within the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Ansar Allah.

However, the website notes that Shia organizations in Iraq have continued to maintain ties with the Houthis and Hezbollah, including providing them with political and logistical support. In particular, the Ansar Allah movement opened an office in Baghdad to expand cooperation with Iraqi groups. Yet under US pressure, these activities were scaled back. With the outbreak of conflict in the Gaza Strip in 2023, Iraqi armed groups carried out a number of joint operations with the Houthis against Israel, using missiles and drones.