The statement by the U.S. Department of Treasury said: “Treasury today designated Iran-based Islamic Jihad Union facilitator Olimzhon Adkhamovich Sadikov (also known as Jafar al-Uzbeki and Jafar Muidinov) for acting for on behalf of and providing support to al-Qa’ida.

“Today’s action, taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, follows Treasury’s designations in July 2011 of Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil (also known as Yasin al-Suri) and October 2012 of Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi al-Harbi, two al-Qa’ida officials who served as the head and deputy of al-Qa’ida’s Iran network, respectively. The State Department also authorized rewards totaling $17 million for information leading to the locations of al-Suri and al-Harbi, and additionally offered $10 million in October 2012 for information leading to the location of Muhsin al-Fadhli, who previously led the Iran-based al-Qa’ida network, and was designated by Treasury and the United Nations in February 2005.

“Jafar al-Uzbeki is a member of the Islamic Jihad Union and provides logistical support and funding to al-Qa’ida’s Iran-based network. As an associate of designated al-Qa’ida facilitator Yasin al-Suri, al-Uzbeki serves as a key extremist smuggler based in Mashhad, Iran, near the country’s border with Afghanistan, and has provided visas and passports to numerous foreign fighters, including al-Qa’ida recruits, to facilitate their travel. Al-Uzbeki has assisted extremists and operatives transiting Iran on their way into and out of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Al-Uzbeki has also provided funding to al-Suri, who has resumed leadership of al-Qa’ida’s Iran-based network after being temporarily detained there in late 2011.

“As head al-Qa’ida facilitator in Iran, Yasin al-Suri is responsible for overseeing al-Qa’ida efforts to transfer experienced operatives and leaders from Pakistan to Syria, organizing and maintaining routes by which new recruits can travel to Syria via Turkey, and assisting in the movement of al-Qa’ida external operatives to the West.

“Al-Qa’ida’s network in Iran has facilitated the transfer of funds from Gulf-based donors to al-Qa’ida core and other affiliated elements, including the al-Nusrah Front in Syria. The Iran-based al-Qa’ida network has also leveraged an extensive network of Kuwaiti jihadist donors to send money to Syria via Turkey.”