The United States announced sanctions against senior officials and economic entities that Washington claims exploited Iraq's oil revenues to fund Iran and its proxies in the region. Among the senior officials sanctioned is Ali Ma'araj al-Bahadli, Iraq's deputy oil minister, who according to the State Department statement exploited his government position to divert Iraqi oil to benefit the Iranian regime and the militias it backs. According to the statement, as part of a sanctions evasion mechanism, Iranian oil was fraudulently mixed with Iraqi oil and sold for Iran's benefit. The sanctions also target senior officials in pro-Iranian militias, as well as oil sector companies that supported them.