WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against two prominent Lebanese officials it said were aligned with Hezbollah as well as companies associated with a business magnatefor obstructing Lebanon’s peace process and delaying the disarmament of the Iran-backed militant group.
The US Treasury Department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control was also designating individuals in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Oman who it said were raising funds and operating front companies to generate revenue for Hezbollah.
The designated individuals include the leader of the Marada political movement, Sleiman Frangieh, and high-ranking Hezbollah political bureau member Mahmud Qamati.
The disarmament of Hezbollah has been a key demand of the United States and Israel, and Lebanon’s government has ordered the powerful group to lay down its weapons.
Hezbollah, however, has rejected that decision and repeatedly demanded Lebanese authorities abandon direct talks with Israel being hosted in Washington.
The group is fighting Israeli forces that invaded southern Lebanon, with Israel’s prime minister vowing that his troops would remain in the area despite a recent peace deal between the United States and Iran that calls for an end to fighting there.
The US government alleged that Frangieh had used his political alliance with Hezbollah to further his party’s parliamentary objectives.
Frangieh is a Lebanese Christian politician, former minister, and leader of the Marada Movement, a political party in northern Lebanon.
He has been a long-time ally of Hezbollah, which has endorsed him for the presidency in recent political deadlocks.
He is also known for his close personal ties to the family of former Syrian president Bashar Assad, having been a childhood friend of the now-deposed leader.
Qamati is a senior Hezbollah official and former minister who has become one of the group’s most prominent political spokespeople in recent years.
The US Treasury alleged that Qamati had coordinated “cash smuggling from Iran” for Hezbollah.
In addition, the Treasury also issued sanctions against associates of Lebanese business magnate Alaa Hassan Hamieh, who was himself sanctioned on March 20.
According to the statement, Hamieh’s Lebanon-based Globe Technology Providers is the “technical arm” of Hezbollah-linked and Syrian-based Al-Ahd Company for Trade and Investment.
Both were sanctioned in Washington’s latest move, in addition to a number of other associated designations.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had spoken to Syria’s leader about combating Hezbollah in Lebanon amid concerns the group will benefit from cash infusions from Iran after a US-Iranian interim agreement for ending the war on Iran.
The deal is expected to halt hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Hezbollah must disarm in order for Lebanon to achieve a secure 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,” he said in a statement.
Source: Saudi Gazette