The apparent designation of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi movement as terror groups by the Iraqi government sparked confusion and recriminations on Thursday, with authorities later saying the sanctions were announced in error.

The decision, published on 17 November by the justice ministry in the official gazette, surprised many, as the Iraqi government appeared to group the two organisations in the same bracket as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Initially, many saw the designation as a sign that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, whose outgoing government is largely composed of parties with links to Iran, was buckling under American pressure. Little attention was paid to the move until Thursday, however, when news outlets belatedly began to pick up on it.

The controversy prompted questions from observers: were Hezbollah and the Houthis genuinely placed on the list by mistake, or was the government trying to backtrack to curb anger from its allies?