The United States designated four Iraqi armed groups as terrorist organizations on September 17th, 2025, including the Nujaba Movement, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata'ib al-Imam Ali, also known as the Imam Ali Brigades. Separately, after nearly two and a half years, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers has approved the resumption of oil exports following new agreements between Erbil and Baghdad. The US designation of the Iraqi groups, announced during the reporting window between 4:19 PM and 5:49 PM UTC on September 17th, 2025, marks a significant action by the US government against these specific entities operating within Iraq. Details regarding the specific reasons for these designations were not immediately available in the provided sources. Concurrently, the resolution of the suspension of the KRG's oil exports, which had been in place for approximately two and a half years, was confirmed. As part of the new agreements, Baghdad is expected to release two months of salaries to the KRG. The approval from the KRG Council of Ministers signifies a critical step towards the restart of these vital export operations.
