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The US on Monday offered a $10 million reward for information on Haydar Al Saidi, secretary general of the Iran-aligned Iraqi militia Harakat Ansar Allah Al Awfiya, the State Department's Rewards for Justice programme said.
Washington accuses Mr Al Saidi, who is also known as Haydar Al Ghrawi, according to the announcement, of responsibility for attacks on US diplomatic centres in Iraq, as well as on US troops in Iraq, Jordan and Syria “killing US servicemen”.
The announcement marks the latest US move against leaders of Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq as the US-Israel war with Iran continues.
It follows a $10 million bounty posted on April 24 for Kataib Sayyid Al Shuhada leader Abu Ala Al Walai, and another $10 million reward on Kataib Hezbollah chief Ahmad Al Hamidawi.
The move underscores Washington’s push to break the command structure of militias it blames for escalating attacks on American interests since the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28.
Several US-linked sites in Iraq have been attacked with drones and rockets since then, including the embassy in Baghdad, a logistics site used by US troops at Baghdad International Airport, and the US consulate and Harir airbase, which houses American personnel, in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
The militias also claimed attacks on US troops in Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which urged Iraq to “take the necessary measures” to halt the strikes.
The US has retaliated with strikes on Iraqi militias and security forces, including the paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of mainly Iran-backed militias. More than 100 fighters were killed and about 300 injured, according to the PMF.
Washington is exerting unprecedented financial and security pressure on Iraq as its politicians try to form a government following elections in November. US officials have warned Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani and leaders of the Co-ordination Framework, the largest parliamentary bloc, to form a government free of Iranian influence.
Iraqi officials told The National last week that Washington had suspended security co-operation and shipments of US dollars to Iraq from its oil sales.
'Partner or adversary'
Hours after the US announced the bounty on Abu Ala Al Walai, he took part in a meeting of the Co-ordination Framework in continuing discussions to select a candidate for the prime minister's post.
The US charge d’affaires in Baghdad, Joshua Harris, sent a letter to the Iraqi government and the Co-ordination Framework, condemning the presence of the sanctioned militia leader, according to a politician.
Mr Harris said that Iraq “must choose whether to be a partner or an adversary of the United States”, and threatened not to “deal with any government, and an isolation to Iraq”, he said.
Qusay Mahbouba, an aide to Mr Al Sudani, confirmed the letter in a statement on X, saying that “What we warned of about a year ago happened”.
The US government is now “showing its teeth and sending the Shiite Co-ordination Framework one clear message that cannot be misunderstood: 'You are opponents of the United States, not friends of allies,'” he said.
