Terrorist Designations of Iran-aligned Militia Groups

The Department of State is today designating Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) and its Secretary General Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. KSS terrorist activity has threatened the lives of both U.S. and Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS personnel in Iraq and Syria.

Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating six individuals affiliated with Iran-aligned militia group Kata’ib Hizballah (KH). Iran, through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its external operations force known as the Qods Force, has supported KSS, KH, and other Iran-aligned militia groups with training, funding, and sophisticated weapons — including increasingly accurate and lethal unmanned aerial systems. KSS, working at times with other U.S.-designated organizations, including KH and Harakat al-Nujaba, has planned and supported attacks against U.S. personnel.

Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The United States remains committed to using all available tools to counter Iran’s support for terrorism and degrade and disrupt the ability of Iran-backed groups to conduct terrorist attacks.