WASHINGTON - THE United States is authorising the seizure of assets belonging to an extremist organization in Iraq and its Iranian backer.
Both are believed responsible for deadly attacks in Iraq.
The Treasury Department says it is targeting Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iranian, and the Iraq-based group Kata'ib Hizballah for committing, directing or supporting acts of violence in Iraq against US and Iraqi forces.
In a separate move on Thursday, the State Department designated Kata'ib Hizballah as a foreign terrorist organisation.
Both designations prohibit any transactions between them and Americans, and freeze any assets they may have in the US. -- AP
