Iran’s proxy Hezbollah hit with new US sanctions
Photo: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (Getty Images)
On Thursday, August 20, the US announced new sanctions against a suspected Hezbollah funding network. The reason was its close ties to Iran, according to The Times of Israel.
In a statement from the US Treasury Department, the legal designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization was amended. It now states that the group operates for the benefit and on behalf of the Iranian regime under the command of the IRGC, including its elite Quds Force.
"The new redesignation specifies that Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy, not a stand-alone operation as implied by the previous designation. This underscores that Hezbollah operates with little to no regard for Lebanese sovereignty, the Lebanese people, or the Lebanese state," a US State Department official said.
The Times of Israel notes that in 1997, the US designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization, and in 2001 changed its status to a specially designated global terrorist group.
Returning to the Treasury Department's statement, it said the sanctions are directed against 10 individuals who are believed to be part of a network that transfers cash to Hezbollah, which has already been repeatedly targeted by US sanctions.
"The network utilizes couriers travelling on commercial airline flights between Lebanon, Türkiye, the UAE, and Iran to move up to hundreds of millions of dollars between jurisdictions, providing an avenue outside the formal financial system for Hezbollah to obtain foreign currency and evade sanctions," the statement concluded.
What else is important to know
A week ago, media reported that Israel and Lebanon had agreed on which countries could become potential participants in an international mission to verify the disarmament of Hamas. Preliminary candidates are Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington would impose very tough economic restrictions against Iran. According to him, details will be known on August 24.
