The French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the recently published information about the United States' intention to impose decisive sanctions on Iraqi banks aimed mainly at cracking down on Iran, considering that the information passed unnoticed by many.
She added that there is specific Iraqi press information, which indicated that strict US sanctions are imminent against more than 15 private Iraqi banks, most of which are affiliated with institutions affiliated with political parties supported by well-known personalities, noting that these banks smuggle more than 100 million dollars per week to 4 neighboring countries, most notably Iran along with Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
The French newspaper stated that the United States, which has been threatening for years to impose such sanctions, is determined to cut off the source of the flows that allowed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (listed on the list of terrorist organizations by Washington), to finance itself from the Iraqi neighbor, "where Tehran enjoys wide influence." .
in this context;
An Iraqi diplomat in Baghdad describes the mechanism of smuggling: “Every day, the Central Bank of Iraq sells dollars that private banks buy before transferring them to Iran. But these banks often act as facades for the Revolutionary Guards, so it is unlikely that Iraqis will agree to continue the Iranian game.” Because it is not compatible with the country's interests and helps destroy its economy."
Le Figaro points out that the impact of these financial operations in Baghdad was already clear.
As the dollar became more expensive at the expense of the local currency, the dinar, which put Iraqi savers in a difficult position.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is classified by America as a terrorist organization (Reuters)
Financing Iran's foreign activity
According to the newspaper;
An informed source from the Gulf says, "These funds from Iraq were used to finance a large part of Iran's foreign operations in Syria and Lebanon in particular." Arab countries, as well as Europe and the United States, consider these Iranian foreign operations to be destabilizing factors.
Consequently, the Revolutionary Guards, which control a large part of the Iranian economy, will be forced to seek help from their coffers or those of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
"The Americans look at all Iraqi financial transactions, one by one, to make sure that there is no Iranian beneficiary," the source explains.
and before that;
When the Iraqi Trade Bank, which is the Iraqi-American bank that has managed Iraqi funds in New York since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, asked;
$5 billion, for example, the Americans agreed and returned the money within 24 hours to Baghdad.
According to the same source, in addition to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, another part of these transfers from Iraq was used to supply the clearing house for the foreign exchange market in Tehran, and this shortage contributed to the decline of the Iranian rial in recent months.
According to the newspaper;
This expert says that "the Iranian government, which did not know the quick measures it had to take, made the central bank governor a scapegoat by replacing him," adding that Iranian officials realized, on the other hand, that American pressure and its poor management of the problem had a positive impact on the political scene. The Iranians as a whole, because the Iranians are now focusing on economic issues and have forgotten the demands of freedom.
The newspaper reported that the American pressure is explained by the fact that with the rise in oil prices, the main source of income for Baghdad;
Iraq now has large financial reserves that Washington intends to monitor their distribution, especially since the new Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani, may be seen as a link between political or paramilitary groups that have strong relations with Iran.
The newspaper concludes the report, explaining that this was not the case for his predecessor, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, during statements he made to Le Figaro newspaper last September before leaving office;
He talked about his efforts to limit Iranian influence in Iraq.