US Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Hezbollah, Accuses Iran of Control
The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on an alleged Hezbollah financing network, while accusing the Lebanese group of operating closely with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The US Treasury Department announced the sanctions on Thursday as Washington continued efforts to facilitate direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
The United States said Hezbollah operates in service of the Iranian regime, particularly through the elite Quds Force of the IRGC.
Washington first designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997. In 2001, the US also classified the group as a specially designated global terrorist organisation.
US says Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy
A US State Department official said the latest designation clarifies Washington’s position that Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy rather than an independent operation.
The official accused the group of showing little regard for Lebanese sovereignty, the Lebanese people or the Lebanese state.
The US government also said years of sanctions have documented operational, financial and logistical links between Hezbollah and the IRGC’s Quds Force.
The official rejected Hezbollah’s description of itself as a Lebanese resistance movement.
New US sanctions target 10 people
The latest sanctions target 10 individuals allegedly involved in a network that transfers money to Hezbollah.
The US Treasury said the group has faced multiple rounds of American sanctions over the years.
According to the department, the network uses couriers travelling on commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
US officials said the couriers can move hundreds of millions of dollars across jurisdictions.
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The alleged transfers provide a way to move foreign currency outside the formal financial system and help Hezbollah evade sanctions, according to the Treasury Department.
Hezbollah and the wider Middle East conflict
The latest US action comes amid continuing tensions involving Israel, Lebanon and Iran.
According to the report, Hezbollah became involved in the broader Middle East conflict in March after launching rocket attacks against Israel in support of Iran.
Israel responded with extensive airstrikes and a ground operation in Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities said the fighting has killed more than 4,300 people.
The sanctions were also announced as the United States facilitates direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, two countries that remain technically at war.
Hezbollah has rejected the negotiations.
The latest measures underline Washington’s continued focus on Hezbollah’s financial networks and its relationship with Iran’s security establishment.
