The State Department announced that it had "designated the Iranian proxy group Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN) and its leader... as Specially Designation Global Terrorists (SDGTs)". Describing HAN as "an Iran-backed Iraqi militia funded by but not under the control of the Iraqi government", the statement indicated that "these designations demonstrate the U.S.' unwavering commitment to isolate and deny funding to the Iranian regime's terrorist proxies. The U.S. will continue to stand firm against Iran's malign behaviour and efforts to undermine Iraq's sovereignty and stability". A HAN spokesperson subsequently maintained that the group's "position towards the U.S. is stable and unchangeable", while a senior official proclaimed that "we in the Islamic resistance are proud that we are always standing in the forefront of confronting the American terrorism against the oppressed nations".