Iraq
Aqeel Meften, President of the National Olympic Committee of Iraq (NOCI), pictured on October 27, 2025. Photo: NOCI/Facebook
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Olympic committee has announced the temporary withdrawal of its president, Aqeel Meften, who was recently sanctioned by the US Treasury for alleged involvement in illicit financial operations, including laundering “tens of millions of dollars for Iran.”
In a late-night statement on Friday, the National Olympic Committee of Iraq (NOCI) said Meften’s duties have been transferred to First Vice President Abd al-Salam Khalaf, who is now “authorized to temporarily oversee all Olympic affairs until the case [of Meften] is resolved.”
The committee said the measure was taken “in a spirit of responsibility and out of keenness to protect the trajectory of Iraqi sports from any legal issues or obstacles.”
The NOCI added that the move came at Meften’s request, noting that he has “assigned a specialized team of lawyers to follow up on his case with the US Treasury,” denouncing reports surrounding the issue as “fabrications intended to distort the truth and cause confusion.”
In early October, the US imposed sanctions on three Iraqis accused of using their positions to “generate revenue and launder money” for Kata’ib Hezbollah - a powerful Iran-aligned Shiite armed group that operates under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The sanctioned individuals included Aqeel Meften and his brother Ali Meften.
“For decades, the Meften brothers have laundered tens of millions of dollars for Iran, smuggled oil and drugs, and abused Aqeel Meften’s position as president of Iraq’s National Olympic Committee to engage in corruption,” the Treasury said at the time.
They were further accused of “abusing the Iraqi economy to launder money for Iran and a terrorist front company supporting Iraqi militia groups,” as well as aiding “Iraq-based Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) assets that gather information, including on U.S. forces.”
The Olympic committee then dismissed the allegations as “fake news” aimed at undermining its “sporting and financial policies.” It insisted that its president is “far from these untrue accusations” and accused detractors of conducting “malicious campaigns” against the institution. The statement notably avoided addressing the Treasury’s claims directly.
In the same sanctions announcement, the Treasury said it had targeted “Iran-backed militia groups responsible for the deaths of U.S. personnel,” stressing that dismantling the financial networks enabling such groups is “essential to protecting American lives and our national security.”
Among the sanctioned entities was the Muhandis General Company (MGC), which the Treasury says is used by Kata’ib Hezbollah to “divert funds from Iraqi government contracts” and smuggle weapons.
The Iraqi government in November 2022 approved the establishment of the MGC with a capital of 1 billion Iraqi dinars (around $68.5 million). The company draws its name from the PMF deputy chief, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in a US airstrike in January 2020.
MGC’s creation has long drawn comparisons to Iran's massive engineering firm, Khatam al-Anbia, which is owned by the IRGC.
In a late-night statement on Friday, the National Olympic Committee of Iraq (NOCI) said Meften’s duties have been transferred to First Vice President Abd al-Salam Khalaf, who is now “authorized to temporarily oversee all Olympic affairs until the case [of Meften] is resolved.”
The committee said the measure was taken “in a spirit of responsibility and out of keenness to protect the trajectory of Iraqi sports from any legal issues or obstacles.”
The NOCI added that the move came at Meften’s request, noting that he has “assigned a specialized team of lawyers to follow up on his case with the US Treasury,” denouncing reports surrounding the issue as “fabrications intended to distort the truth and cause confusion.”
In early October, the US imposed sanctions on three Iraqis accused of using their positions to “generate revenue and launder money” for Kata’ib Hezbollah - a powerful Iran-aligned Shiite armed group that operates under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The sanctioned individuals included Aqeel Meften and his brother Ali Meften.
“For decades, the Meften brothers have laundered tens of millions of dollars for Iran, smuggled oil and drugs, and abused Aqeel Meften’s position as president of Iraq’s National Olympic Committee to engage in corruption,” the Treasury said at the time.
They were further accused of “abusing the Iraqi economy to launder money for Iran and a terrorist front company supporting Iraqi militia groups,” as well as aiding “Iraq-based Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) assets that gather information, including on U.S. forces.”
The Olympic committee then dismissed the allegations as “fake news” aimed at undermining its “sporting and financial policies.” It insisted that its president is “far from these untrue accusations” and accused detractors of conducting “malicious campaigns” against the institution. The statement notably avoided addressing the Treasury’s claims directly.
In the same sanctions announcement, the Treasury said it had targeted “Iran-backed militia groups responsible for the deaths of U.S. personnel,” stressing that dismantling the financial networks enabling such groups is “essential to protecting American lives and our national security.”
Among the sanctioned entities was the Muhandis General Company (MGC), which the Treasury says is used by Kata’ib Hezbollah to “divert funds from Iraqi government contracts” and smuggle weapons.
The Iraqi government in November 2022 approved the establishment of the MGC with a capital of 1 billion Iraqi dinars (around $68.5 million). The company draws its name from the PMF deputy chief, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in a US airstrike in January 2020.
MGC’s creation has long drawn comparisons to Iran's massive engineering firm, Khatam al-Anbia, which is owned by the IRGC.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment