Hezbollah financiers face new American sanctions
The move Thursday accuses three men of taking advantage of Lebanon's cash-rich economy to fund money to the terror group.
The Trump administration levied new sanctions Thursday against three men accused of helping funnel Iranian money to the terror group Hezbollah through Lebanon’s financial system. American officials said the punishment is aimed at weakening the militant group’s economic base and curbing Tehran’s influence in Lebanon. The action also comes as the Israeli military launches a new wave of strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Those now sanctioned include Ossama Jaber, Ja’far Muhammad Qasir, and Samer Kasbar, a director at the Hezbollah-linked Hokoul SAL Offshore Company.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) alleges the three were involved in transferring tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Lebanon this year through money exchange houses. U.S. officials said the network relied on both licensed and unlicensed currency traders to disguise the flow of funds and blend them with legitimate transactions—in what amounts to a sophisticated money laundering operation.
The men are also believed to be part of a network coordinating oil and commodity sales with Iranian and Syrian intermediaries to fund Hezbollah operations.
“Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous, and secure—but that can only happen if Hezbollah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley. “We will work with our Lebanese partners to create a resilient economy that puts the interests of all Lebanese citizens front and center.”
Thursday’s designations were made under Executive Order 13224, a Bush-era document which targets terrorists and their supporters. Hezbollah has been listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States since 1997.
The move further highlights Washington’s continued pressure campaign on Iran-backed groups, even as Lebanon struggles to stabilize its economy and financial sector following years of crisis.