US sanctions Hezbollah-linked officials, firms

Washington, June 22 (IANS) The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on two Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese officials and a network of business associates accused of supporting the Iran-backed group, saying the move is aimed at weakening what Washington described as the biggest obstacle to Lebanon’s recovery and stability.

In a statement, the US State Department said the action targets “two Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese officials, as well as members of a Hezbollah business network overseen by US-designated Alaa Hassan Hamieh.”

The designated officials “have used their influence to deliberately and systematically undermine the authority of the Lebanese state” and have prevented the Lebanese government from exercising full control over its territory and future, the State Department alleged.

“These activities obstruct efforts to restore a sovereign, independent Lebanon, instead entrenching a system of parallel power that keeps Lebanon weak and divided, at the expense of the entire Middle East,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

The sanctions also target additional associates linked to Hamieh and his network in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Oman.

The State Department said these individuals and entities “raise funds, execute contracts, and operate front companies to generate revenue for Hezbollah terrorists.”

The Treasury Department, which announced the parallel designations, said the action includes Lebanese political figures and members of a business network connected to Hamieh. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “Hezbollah must disarm for Lebanon to achieve a secure and prosperous future.”

“Treasury will continue to target Hezbollah’s financial networks and hold accountable those who enable the group to undermine the Lebanese state and threaten prospects for lasting peace,” Bessent added.

The Treasury Department identified Sleiman Antoine Frangie, leader of the Lebanese Marada Movement, and Mahmoud Qamati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, among those sanctioned. Treasury alleged that Frangie used his alliance with Hezbollah for political gain, while Qamati coordinated cash smuggling from Iran for the group.

The sanctions package also targets companies and individuals linked to Hamieh’s business operations, including entities in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Oman that US officials say helped generate revenue for Hezbollah through commercial projects and financial transactions.

Pigott said Hezbollah “is a terrorist organisation that puts Iran, not Lebanon, first” and described the group as “the single biggest obstacle to Lebanon’s recovery and future.”

“Hezbollah is the single biggest obstacle to Lebanon’s recovery and future, and holds the state hostage to a permanent state of conflict,” he said.

The spokesperson warned that “those who continue to provide political cover and material support to Hezbollah will suffer the consequences of their choices.”

“For the sake of lasting peace in the region and Lebanese stability and prosperity, Hezbollah must disarm, its infrastructure must be dismantled, and the Lebanese state must regain its control of Lebanon’s future,” Pigott added.

–IANS

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