US accuses Iran of 'secret deal' with al-Qaeda
Ratcheting pressure on Iran, the US on Friday accused Tehran of striking a "secret deal" with al-Qaeda, saying it was a "critical" transit point for funding of terrorist activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Designating six members of an al-Qaeda network headed by Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, "prominent Iran-based al-Qaeda facilitator, the US Department of the Treasury said, "Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world today."
"By exposing Iran's secret deal with al-Qaeda allowing it to funnel funds and operatives through its territory, we are illuminating yet another aspect of Iran's unmatched support for terrorism," Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S Cohen said.
"Today's action also seeks to disrupt this key network and deny al-Qaeda's senior leadership much-needed support," Cohen said in a statement.
The decision to impose sanctions on six al-Qaeda members "demonstrates that Iran is a critical transit point for funding to support al-Qaeda's activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"This network serves as the core pipeline through which al-Qaeda moves money, facilitators and operatives from across the Middle East to South Asia, including to Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, a key al-Qaeda leader based in Pakistan, also designated today," the statement said.
Rahman is believed to have recently ascended to the No. 2 position in al-Qaeda, reporting directly to the organisation's new leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who took over after the death of Osama bin Laden.
As a result of Friday's action, US persons are prohibited from engaging in commercial or financial transactions with the designees, and any assets they may hold under US jurisdiction are frozen, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
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