Joe Wilson, Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Thursday, 23 Mehr, in reaction to the appointment of Laith al-Khazali as deputy prime minister of Iraq, called him a “sanctioned terrorist and a pawn of the Islamic Republic” and called for an end to Tehran’s influence in Iraq.

Wilson wrote on the X social network: “Laith al-Khazali is a sanctioned terrorist and a pawn of the Islamic Republic who, along with the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militias associated with him, has killed Americans and Iraqis. He has no difference from ISIS and might even be worse.”

He called al-Khazali’s appointment “shameful, but predictable,” and said that the people of Iraq, regardless of their background, deserve better conditions.

On Thursday, Iraq’s parliament selected Laith al-Khazali and two other people as deputy prime ministers in Ali al-Zaydi’s government.

Laith al-Khazali is the brother of Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq. In January 2020, the U.S. State Department placed these two brothers on the list of global terrorists and designated Asaib Ahl al-Haq as a foreign terrorist organization.

The United States accuses the group of being involved in attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq.