US Revokes Iraqi Ex-Finance Minister's Visa After FBI Terror Listing

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The United States State Department formally revoked the visa of former Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami Mohammed Al Shakarchi on Friday after the FBI placed her on its Terror Watch List, Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson confirmed in an official statement, while Taif Sami herself denied the accusations and rejected both her placement on the US terror list and the accusations circulating against her in Iraq.

"The US Department of State has revoked the visa of an Iraqi national who was presented an award by the Biden Administration for her purported role in fighting corruption and her advocacy for gender equity," Johnson said. "Under President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, suspected terrorists will never be allowed to remain in the United States."

Taif Sami rejected the accusations in a statement, denying that she has been placed on a terrorism list and describing the accusations against her as unfounded. Her office had previously issued a statement in June 2026 describing reports circulating about her on media outlets and social media platforms as "completely false," urging organizations to verify information before publishing and warning of legal action against anyone circulating allegations without relying on official sources. The State Department did not immediately provide details about when Sami was placed on the FBI's terrorist watchlist or the intelligence that led to that determination.

The revocation marks a dramatic reversal of the recognition Sami received from the Biden administration four years ago. In 2022, while serving as Iraq's Finance Minister, she was presented with the International Women of Courage Award by then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and then-First Lady Jill Biden in a formal ceremony, where Blinken praised her as Iraq's Iron Woman, crediting her with stopping bribes, uncovering schemes that enriched corrupt officials, and fighting corruption despite threats against her life. The award recognized, in the State Department's own words at the time, "women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity."

Johnson's statement on Friday made the contrast explicit and politically charged, saying: "While the Biden State Department shamefully celebrated and awarded foreigners who threaten our nation, the Trump State Department revokes their visas and ensures these individuals are removed from our country."

Several prominent Republican lawmakers in the US Congress, including Representatives Joe Wilson and Greg Steube, had previously accused Sami of being a key enabler of terrorist funding in Iraq through the country's financial and banking system, and had formally called on the Trump administration to impose sanctions against her. Their letter to the administration described her as a money-laundering associate alongside several other named individuals.

As Kurdistan 24 reported, Iraq's judiciary had separately issued a formal summons for Sami and placed her name on its list of wanted individuals as part of an investigation into corruption and the squandering of public funds in government contracts. Sami is believed to be outside Iraqi territory and has not been detained. A judicial summons does not constitute a conviction or by itself establish wrongdoing.

Sami served as Iraq's Finance Minister in the government of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani from August 2022 until the change of government in 2026, during which she was among Iraq's most significant economic figures, responsible for handling the federal budget, government expenditures, and financial ties between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.