Iraq’s Olympic Chief Temporarily Steps Aside Following US Sanctions Over Alleged IRGC Ties
Iraq's Olympic chief Aqeel Muftin steps aside for his deputy following US sanctions for alleged IRGC ties, as he prepares a legal challenge.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The presidency of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee has undergone a significant leadership transition as Aqeel Muftin has voluntarily relinquished his operational duties to his deputy following punitive measures imposed by the United States.
The decision comes in the wake of accusations from Washington linking the sports official to financial operations supporting Iranian interests, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to a report by AFP.
In a move described by the committee as a personal "initiative" by the president, the administration of Iraq's Olympic affairs has been handed over to the second-in-command. In a formal statement released on Friday, the committee announced that First Vice President Abdul Salam Khalaf has been temporarily authorized to oversee all Olympic affairs.
This interim arrangement is set to continue until the legal complexities surrounding the US sanctions are resolved.
The committee further clarified that it had acted transparently regarding the matter, notifying the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of the situation more than two weeks prior to the public announcement of the handover.
The administrative shake-up is the direct result of an announcement made last month by the US Treasury, which imposed sanctions on Muftin.
American authorities have accused the Iraqi official of managing a commercial bank that is associated with the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The AFP report details the specific allegations from the US Treasury, which accuse Muftin and his brother, Ali, of cultivating "close relationships with senior intelligence officials of the IRGC." Furthermore, the US alleges that the brothers helped "generate and transfer funds for militias in Iraq that support the IRGC-QF."
Despite the severity of the charges, the statement from the Olympic Committee emphasized that Muftin categorically denies the accusations. To contest the designation, Muftin has assembled a team of lawyers dedicated to pursuing his case with the US Treasury and clearing his name.
The sanctions against Muftin were part of a broader wave of designations announced by Washington last month, which sparked criticism from the Iraqi government. As noted by AFP, these sanctions also targeted the Al-Muhandis company, a firm with established links to the Hashed al-Shaabi.
The Hashed al-Shaabi are paramilitary units that have been formally integrated into the Iraqi regular security forces, making the US sanctions a point of contention between Baghdad and Washington.
