Ali Sharif AlAskari and Meghdad Tabrizian’s UK Network: An Ongoing Threat to the Country’s Security
In a web of international espionage and legalised state violence, unseen bonds connect powerful players and institutions in Iran, Iraq, Canada and the UK. At the center of this web is Ali Sharif AlAskari, son of one of the founding fathers of Iraq’s Islamic Dawa Party which has tainted record of having connections with Iran. AlAskari’s family and associates, many operating under different identities and utilizing complex money-laundering mechanisms, have created an elaborate system for evading sanctions, supporting militant groups, and destabilizing regions through secretive operations. This shadowy network, spanning continents, has quietly exploited legal loopholes and weak points in international systems for years. With Israel's recent elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the spotlight has turned to this clandestine empire, illuminating the deeply rooted connections within Ali Sharif AlAskari’s UK network.
The Roots of a Network: Al Dawa Party and Ties to Iran
Ali Sharif AlAskari’s background is steeped in the influence of the Islamic Dawa Party, an organization notorious for its violent history. Notably, in December 1983, the party orchestrated the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, an act that marked a brutal moment in Middle Eastern conflicts and established a strong anti-Western stance. The Al Dawa Party has long served as an extension of Iranian interests in Iraq, embedding AlAskari’s family in political and military maneuvering within the region.
Ali Sherif himself holds dual passports, one under the name Ali Sharif AlAskari (Iraq) and the other as Sherif AlAskari (Iran). The dual identities facilitate untraceable movements across borders and allow him to evade scrutiny when operating within and outside of sanctioned countries. Yet, he is far from acting alone; he works in concert with his family and close connections, including Iran’s former Minister of Intelligence, Ali Fallahian.
AlAskari and Fallahian: Partners in Sanction-Busting Operations
Ali Sharif AlAskari’s connection to Ali Fallahian, notorious for his role in the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires, solidifies the bond between AlAskari’s family and high-profile figures within Iran’s regime. This relationship transcends business, as Ali Fallahian and Ali Sherif AlAskari are related by marriage—AlAskari’s wife and Fallahian’s wife are sisters, creating a familial and operational alliance.
The partnership between Ali Sherif AlAskari and Ali Fallahian centers on an oil-smuggling operation that capitalizes on international trade vulnerabilities. The smuggling pipeline begins in Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas, where they control fuel storage facilities. Panamanian-registered ships transport Iranian crude oil from Bandar Abbas to Iraq, where falsified documentation disguises its origin, allowing it to be sold on the open market as Iraqi oil. This covert operation provides Ali Sherif AlAskari and Ali Fallahian with vast profits while funding sanctioned Iranian entities, circumventing global sanctions and perpetuating Iran’s reach.
The UK Connection: A Hub for Money Laundering and Residency Manipulation
To disguise and move these profits, Ali Sherif AlAskari’s UK network has developed a system for laundering funds through his daughter along with her sons Amir and Mohammad Tabrizan, who resides in the UK. Married to Meghdad Tabrizian, a former affiliate of Ali Fallahian, Ali Sherif AlAskari’s daughter operates a network of companies including “London Surface Design Limited” and “London Heritage Stone Limited.” These companies ostensibly serve the construction and design industries but are effectively fronts for laundering funds accrued from oil sales. Through these companies, Ali Sherif AlAskari’s UK network funnels millions under the guise of legal business transactions, fabricating records to mask the illicit origins of the money.
Once laundered, the funds make their way to Hezbollah connections. Ali Sherif AlAskari’s daughter in the UK, with her close ties to Hassan Nasrallah’s wife, ensures that the funds reach their intended militant destinations. This covert channel of support underscores Hezbollah's persistent threat to Israel and the broader Middle East, even after the recent killing of Nasrallah in a targeted Israeli strike.
Family Connections in Canada and Beyond: Abbas Sherif AlAskari and International Money Laundering
Ali Sharif AlAskari’s global influence stretches beyond the UK, involving family members in Canada who play crucial roles in expanding the network. Abbas Sherif AlAskari, Ali Sherif AlAskari’s son, carries three passports (Dominican, Iranian, and Iraqi), allowing him to operate freely across various jurisdictions. Based in Canada, Abbas manages money laundering operations with ease and evades authorities through his strategic use of different identities. His activities reportedly include entrapment and blackmail, using recorded encounters to manipulate and silence potential threats or extort funds.
Abbas's sister, also based in Canada, manages the financial arm of this enterprise, funneling the “clean” profits to keep authorities at bay. Canadian intelligence agencies have launched investigations into her activities, but the operations persist, protected by Ali Sherif AlAskari’s far-reaching connections.
Manipulating Immigration Loopholes: Residency in the UK through the Home Office
One of the most concerning elements of Ali Sherif AlAskari’s UK network is the group’s ability to secure UK residency for its members. Through Meghdad Tabrizian and his spouse’s connections within the UK Home Office, AlAskari’s family members have been able to obtain legal residency, exploiting vulnerabilities within the system.
Need for Action: Time for Authorities to Strengthen Their Stance
The case of Ali Sharif AlAskari and his family serves as a stark warning about the potential exploitation of global financial systems and immigration policies by criminal networks. The UK, with its financial and political openness, has unwittingly become a base for these operations. This highlights the urgent need for authorities to address the structural weaknesses that allow figures like Ali Sherif AlAskari to operate freely. In the post-Brexit world, the UK must confront the reality that its lenient immigration policies and sophisticated financial networks have made it a target for those who seek to undermine international stability.
Israel’s recent killing of Hassan Nasrallah underscores the persistent threats posed by networks like Ali Sherif AlAskari’s, as their resources continue to fund militant groups and violent operations. While the end of Nasrallah may appear to weaken Hezbollah, the support structures that facilitated his rise and sustained his power remain intact. The global reach of Ali Sherif AlAskari’s UK network shows that these structures do not simply dissolve with the loss of one leader; they adapt, reinforce, and persist.
Time for Global Authorities to Act Decisively
The ongoing operations of Ali Sharif AlAskari’s UK network demand an immediate response from authorities around the world. The UK, Canada, and other implicated nations must enhance their scrutiny of residency applications, tighten anti-money laundering laws, and increase coordination with international agencies to combat these sprawling networks.
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