ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, an Iran-backed Iraqi armed group, on Wednesday reacted to their recent designation as a foreign terrorist organization by the US, saying Washington “punishes” anyone who opposes its policies and that the designation will have no impact on them.

The US State Department on Wednesday designated Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kataib al-Imam Ali as foreign terrorist organizations, accusing Iran of providing support that “enables these militias to plan, facilitate, or directly carry out attacks across Iraq.”

Kadhim al-Fartousi, spokesperson for Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, told The New Region that “it seems that anyone who rejects the Israeli occupation's policy will be punished.”

“Previously, we were sanctioned by the US Treasury, and today we have been sanctioned by the US State Department. These sanctions will have no impact, given that we have no external economic relations or interests, but morally they will have an impact,” he added.

The spokesperson stated that they would be “honored” if the reason for their designation is their “rejection of the State of Israel and the Israeli occupation,” noting that the group will have a stance and issue an official statement in this regard.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella network of Iran-backed militias, claimed hundreds of attacks against Israeli and American targets between October 2023 and October 2024 in response to the war in Gaza.

A bipartisan bill titled “Free Iraq from Iran” was introduced to the Congress in April, aiming to curb Iranian influence in Iraq. The bill calls for dismantling all Iran-backed militias, including the state-linked Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), threatening economic sanctions on Baghdad otherwise.