People & Institutions
Aras Habib Kareem
آراس حبيب كريم
Also written: KARIM, Aras Habib; KAREEM, Aras Habib Mohamed; HABIB, Aras
This page sets out what the documents in this archive record about this person: the legal status on the date shown, the cases, the official registers and the sources.
Legal status as of 4 October 2026
Under sanctions
Placed on a government sanctions list. An official act, not a court judgment.
What the documents say
- Designated by OFAC (under Executive Order 13224, which concerns the financing of terrorism) on 15 May 2018 for enabling the IRGC-Quds Force to exploit Iraq's banking sector to move funds to Hizballah. Central Bank of Iraq froze his accounts. No Iraqi criminal case is on record. Still on the OFAC SDN list as of September 2026.
- Designated by OFAC, 15 May 2018, under Executive Order 13224, which concerns the financing of terrorism (linked to the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards); still on SDN list 25 September 2026.
- Kind
- Person
- Roles
- Chairman and Chief Executive, Al-Bilad Islamic Bank for Investment and Finance; Chairman and Chief Executive, Al-Bilad Islamic Bank (according to OFAC 2018)
- Institutions
- BLAD (Al-Bilad / Al-Ataa Islamic Bank)
Cases
These are the cases in this archive that name this entry, with the status in each case on the date shown.
| Case | Role | Status in this case | Detail | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Bilad Islamic Bank and its owner Aras Habib Kareem: US terrorism-finance designation for moving IRGC-Qods Force funds through Iraq's banking system (2018) | Chairman and Chief Executive, Al-Bilad Islamic Bank for Investment and Finance | Under sanctions | Designated by OFAC (under Executive Order 13224, which concerns the financing of terrorism) on 15 May 2018 for enabling the IRGC-Quds Force to exploit Iraq's banking sector to move funds to Hizballah. Central Bank of Iraq froze his accounts. No Iraqi criminal case is on record. Still on the OFAC SDN list as of September 2026. | 28 September 2026 |
In the registers
Being listed in a register records a role, an ownership stake, a licence or a designation. It is not an allegation. All registers
Banks
| Role | Bank | Share | As of | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reported beneficial owner (OFAC 15 May 2018) | Al-Bilad Islamic Bank for Investment & Finance |
Sanctions
| Date | Authority | Action | Reason given | Document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 May 2018 | US Treasury (OFAC) | Designation Executive Order 13224 (Specially Designated Global Terrorist); Linked To: IRGC-Qods Force | “OFAC is designating Aras Habib, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Al-Bilad Islamic Bank, for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF.” | Original |
Documents
These are the documents behind this entry. Each quote is given in the language of the document.
- US Department of the Treasury15 May 2018Government statementTier A
Treasury Targets Iran's Central Bank Governor and an Iraqi Bank Moving Millions of Dollars for IRGC-Qods Force
OriginalSHA-256 663cbbc67b18Aras Habib enabled the IRGC-QF's exploitation of Iraq's banking sector to move funds from Tehran to Hizballah, jeopardizing the integrity of the Iraqi financial system.
- US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)15 May 2018Sanctions noticeTier A
Counter Terrorism Designations; Iran Designations (Recent Actions 20180515)
OriginalSHA-256 f8fe831cb06cKAREEM, Aras Habib ... Iraq; DOB 06 Aug 1967; POB Iraq; ... [SDGT] [IRGC] [IFSR] (Linked To: ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (IRGC)-QODS FORCE).