OREANDA-NEWS. The US State Department threatened to impose sanctions against the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the reason for this was reports saying that Russian mercenaries from the so-called Wagner Group acting on the side of the Libyan opposition occupied the city of Es Sider in June and helped to block oil exports.

The publication mentions that American military intelligence is investigating Haftar’s ties with Russia. It is noted that the administration of US President Donald Trump, which officially recognizes the government in Tripoli, considered the commander of the LNA as a possible ally in the fight against radical Islamists in Libya.

The Wall Street Journal informs that Haftar, who during the time of Muammar Gaddafi lived in the USA and received American citizenship, still owns real estate in the United States. It is assumed that the sanctions may affect these assets.