The U.S. Department of State (DoS) announced this week that it would impose new sanctions on Hizballah operatives accused of exploiting “Lebanon’s informal financial sector” to produce earnings for the Iran-backed terrorist group.
“These actors have supported sanctions evasion schemes involving Hezbollah-controlled financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH) and an Iran-based Hezbollah finance team operative,” the State Department confirmed in a statement.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury also announced that sanctions will be placed on Jood SARL, a gold exchange company operating in Lebanon, accusing the company of converting Hizballah-linked gold into cash. The Department alleges that the Jood SARL is being run by Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a Hizballah-controlled financial institution designated by the U.S. since 2007.
“Hizballah [Hezbollah] is a threat to peace and stability in the Middle East. Treasury will work to cut these terrorists off from the global financial system to give Lebanon a chance to be peaceful and prosperous again,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed on X.
The Treasury Department has also designated an international acquisition and merchandise shipping network associated with Ali Qasir, whom US officials describe as Iran-based, with partnerships and companies operating throughout Iran, Russia, Syria, and Turkey.
The DoS address that the effort is part of President Donald Trump’s “government policy of maximum pressure against Iran’s regime and its terrorist proxies."
The U.S. designated Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 1997 and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity in 2001.
“The United States is committed to supporting the Lebanese state and the people of Lebanon by exposing and disrupting the Iranian regime’s covert financing of Hizballah," the DoS affirmed. "By funding Hizballah, Iran undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty and the Lebanese government’s ability to put the country on the path to stability. The United States will continue using every tool at its disposal to ensure that Hizballah can no longer obstruct Lebanon’s regeneration or pose a threat to the United States and its interests.”
