WASHINGTON – Iran has given a new operational headquarters to al-Qaeda, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday. He added that the Islamic Republic is “the new home base” for the terror group. “Tehran gives sanctuary to the terror group’s senior leaders as they plan attacks against America and our allies,” Pompeo added. He noted that since 2015, “Tehran has allowed al-Qaida figures in the country to freely communicate with other al-Qaeda members and perform many functions that were previously directed from Afghanistan and Pakistan, including authorization for attacks, propaganda, and fundraising.”
Pompeo went on to say that the Iran-al-Qaeda axis poses a grave threat to the security of nations and to the American homeland itself. The outgoing secretary of state announced that the administration is designating two Iran-based al-Qaeda leaders, Muhammad Abbatay and Sultan Yusuf Hasan al-‘Arif as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Several leaders of the al-Qaeda Kurdish Battalions (AQKB), an al-Qaeda-linked group that operates on the border between Iran and Iraq, were designated as well. The terrorists that were designated are Isma’il Fu’ad Rasul Ahmed, Fuad Ahmad Nuri Ali al-Shakhan, and Niamat Hama Rahim Hama Sharif.
“As a result of these designations, US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with these individuals and their property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked,” said Pompeo. “In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to al-Qaeda.”