The US Department of the Treasury just dropped sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon, targeting a mix of parliamentarians, military officers, and security officials accused of helping Hezbollah maintain its grip on the country’s institutions. The action, carried out by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 21, represents Washington’s latest move in a decades-long campaign to financially squeeze the militant group and its enablers.
The designations were made under Executive Order 13224, the same counterterrorism authority the US has used against Hezbollah since designating it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) back on October 31, 2001.
Who got designated
Four are sitting members of Lebanon’s parliament, all linked to Hezbollah: Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb Fanich, Hassan Nizammeddine Fadlallah, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, and Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan.
The list also includes Iran’s Ambassador-designate to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani.
