Former Iraqi finance chief placed on U.S. terror list as visa is cancelled

Taif Sami Mohammed, who served as Iraq's deputy finance minister and later as finance minister, was once highlighted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken as a leading anti-corruption figure and received the 2022 International Women of Courage Award. The State Department this week revoked her visa and placed her on a U.S. terrorist watchlist, effectively preventing her from traveling to the United States. Officials did not disclose when the watchlist designation occurred or the intelligence behind it.

The move follows a year-long campaign by Republican representatives who labeled her a "key enabler of terrorist funding" and urged punitive action. In addition, an Iraqi court has added her to a judicial wanted list amid a widening investigation into corruption among former senior officials, though she is believed to be abroad and not in custody. The State Department has not clarified whether the terrorist designation is linked to the congressional accusations, the Iraqi probe, or separate intelligence. This reversal marks a stark contrast to the high praise she received under the previous administration.