In a significant action aimed at "disrupting Taliban actors and their Iranian sponsors", the US and six other West Asian countries Tuesday designated nine individuals associated with the militant group, including those facilitating Iranian support to bolster the Taliban.
"Iran's provision of military training, financing, and weapons to the Taliban is yet another example of Tehran's blatant regional meddling and support for terrorism," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement after an announcement was made in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The seven nations -- the US, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - make up the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center which has an operations center in Saudi Arabia.
Those designated are Mohammad Ebrahim Cowhide (also known as Jalal Valeri), Esma'il Razavi, Abdullah Samad Faroqui, Mohammad Daoud Muzzamil, Abdul Rahim Manan, Abdul Aziz (also known as Aziz Shah Zamani), Sadr Ibrahim, and Hafiz Majid pursuant.
"The seven member nations of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center took significant actions to expose and disrupt Taliban actors and their Iranian sponsors that seek to undermine the security of the Afghan Government," the Treasury Department said in a statement.
The TFTC member states also designated Naim Barich, who is managing the Taliban's relationship with Iran.
Barich was previously designated by the US under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) on November 15, 2012.
"The US and our partners will not tolerate the Iranian regime exploiting Afghanistan to further their destabilizing behaviour. Iran's support to the Taliban stands in stark violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions and epitomizes the regime's utter disregard for fundamental international norms," Mnuchin said.
This is the third coordinated TFTC designation action since the Center was announced on May 21, 2017.
The Treasury department said that these designations support President Donald Trump's South Asia Strategy by exposing and disrupting actors seeking to undermine the Afghan government and disrupting terrorist safe havens in South Asia.
"We will continue to actively target those providing financial support to the Taliban until there is a negotiated peace settlement," it said.
The inclusion of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Qods Force (IRGC-QF) members supporting Taliban elements in this action highlights the scope of the Iranian regime's malign activities and regionally destabilizing behavior, and furthers the US maximum pressure campaign against Iran, it added.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
