US probes allegations of Qatari financing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps
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Alaina
- . July 31, 2021
- . Update: July 31, 2021 5:45 pm
The US Department of States has reportedly launched an investigation into allegations of the Israeli government that Qatar’s royal family has provided fundings to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a US-designated terrorist organization.
According to a report published by the Washington Examiner last week, US President Joe Biden and Israel’s outgoing president Reuven Rivlin held a meeting in the Oval Office in June during when Rivlin revealed details about alleged terror financing activities of the IRGC by the Qatari government in Doha.
Probe into Qatari financing of IRGC
Speaking with the Washington Examiner earlier this month, a US State Department spokesperson revealed that the federal entity is looking into Israel’s allegations that Qatar is financing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. “We are looking into the allegations,” the State Department spokesperson told the news portal.
Washington Examiner also reported that it tried to communicate with Israeli government officials for a comment on the matter, however, they decided to maintain their silence over the reports.
Interestingly, a report by The Times of Israel on July 29 stated that Rivlin shared intelligence with Biden confirming recent funding provided by Qatar to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. An Israeli government official told the Times of Israel that the information alarmed the US side during the meeting.
US plans Iran sanctions
Days after the US launched a probe into allegations of funding of IRGC by the Qatari government, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration is planning a sanctions campaign against Iran to counter its increasing capabilities of guided missiles and drones for precision strike. According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on July 29, US officials have expressed concerns related to potential threats from these weapons to American and allied interests, particularly the Middle East stability.
In recent years, the US has sanctioned some of Iran’s missile programs. However, the US officials are now working on targeting Iran’s procurement networks for these weapons with the aim of effectively combatting those activities. In this regard, a senior US official indicated that Washington is adopting a comprehensive approach to deal with all aspects of threats from Iran.
“This is part of a comprehensive approach, so we are dealing with all aspects of the Iranian threat,” the official told WSJ. While the official did not directly mention Qatar, it is highly likely that Washington’s plan to sanction Tehran is in view of the State Department’s investigation into Doha’s financing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
This development has come at a time when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with Qatar’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani to discuss the ongoing political situation in Yemen, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. During the meeting, the Qatari foreign minister had expressed Doha’s support to Washington’s call for peace and security in the region.
