🎯 Maximum Pressure Campaign

The State Department said the designations are part of President Donald Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, which mandates maximum pressure on Iran. The measures block property and assets under U.S. jurisdiction, prohibit Americans from conducting business with the groups, and expose foreign entities to secondary sanctions if they engage with them.

🏴‍☠️ Newly Designated Terrorist Organizations

💰 Economic Sanctions & Restrictions

All four groups had previously been sanctioned as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), but the FTO designation carries additional legal weight and broader international implications.

📊 Historical Context

The State Department noted that other Iran-backed militias, including Kata’ib Hizballah (KH) and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), had already been designated as FTOs in earlier years. Both have carried out deadly operations against U.S. forces and remain under heavy sanctions.

🎯 Strategic Objectives

This broader crackdown represents a comprehensive approach to dismantling Iran’s proxy network across the Middle East, particularly focusing on groups that pose direct threats to American military personnel and diplomatic facilities in the region.