The US Department of State on Wednesday announced the designation of four Iran-aligned militia groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The groups designated are Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN), Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA), and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA). All four had previously been listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN), established in 2013, has pledged allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and is a leading member of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. HAN has publicly threatened to attack US military bases and personnel. Iran provides the group with both military and logistical support, and it maintained close ties with Qasem Soleimani of the IRGC-QF and former Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) and its Secretary General Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji were designated in 2023. KSS is a member of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and has threatened US and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria. The group has received training, funding, and weapons from Iran.
Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA), designated in 2024 along with its leader Haydar Muzhir Ma’lak al-Sa’idi, was involved in the January 2024 drone attack on Tower 22 in Jordan that killed three US service members. The group has declared its intention to continue attacking American interests in the region.
Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA), designated in 2025, has coordinated with other Iran-aligned militias in planning attacks against US military and diplomatic facilities. Its Secretary General, Shibl al-Zaydi, was sanctioned in 2018 for serving as a financial coordinator between the IRGC-QF and armed groups in Iraq.
The State Department said the designations support President Donald Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, which mandates maximum pressure on Iran. The measures block property and assets under US jurisdiction, prohibit Americans from conducting business with the groups, and expose third parties to the risk of sanctions if they engage with the designated organizations.
The designations take effect upon publication in the Federal Register.