1 week ago
US Sanctions Hezbollah Cash Network, Re-designates Group Iranian Proxy
The United States placed sanctions on 10 people accused of helping move cash to Hezbollah.
US officials said couriers carried the money on regular commercial airplanes.
The flights traveled between Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Treasury said the network may have moved up to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Officials said this helped Hezbollah get foreign currency outside normal banks and avoid sanctions.
The United States also re-designated Hezbollah as serving Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
Hezbollah is described in the articles as both a Lebanese political party and an armed group.
Treasury said Hezbollah and its allies use other methods, such as oil smuggling and illicit shipping, to move money.
The action came while the Trump administration was working to facilitate peace talks between Israel and Lebanon.
The US Treasury sanctioned 10 individuals allegedly involved in transferring cash to Hezbollah.
Treasury said couriers used commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, the UAE and Iran.
Officials alleged the network moved up to hundreds of millions of dollars outside the formal financial system.
The United States re-designated Hezbollah over alleged service to Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force.
Treasury also cited oil smuggling, illicit shipping, commodities sales and bulk cash smuggling as other financing methods.
- Who
- The United States Department of the Treasury, its Office of Foreign Assets Control, 10 sanctioned individuals, Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
- What
- The United States sanctioned 10 individuals allegedly linked to a Hezbollah cash-transfer network and re-designated Hezbollah over its alleged relationship with Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force.
- Where
- The alleged network operated across Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
- When
- August 21, according to one article; the other reports describe the action as occurring on a Thursday, but no year is provided.
- Why
- US officials said the measures target alleged cash transfers that helped Hezbollah obtain foreign currency outside the formal financial system and evade sanctions, while emphasizing the group’s alleged links to Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force.
US Government Position
Reported Hezbollah Perspective
Relationship with Iran
US Government Position
A US State Department official said Hezbollah’s military operations, external security activities and major financing networks function as an extension of Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force and that the group is not a stand-alone operation.
Reported Hezbollah Perspective
The articles describe Hezbollah as a Lebanese political party and an armed group, but do not provide a response from Hezbollah to the US characterization.
Cash-transfer allegations
US Government Position
The Treasury Department said 10 individuals were part of a network that used couriers on commercial flights to move up to hundreds of millions of dollars, helping Hezbollah obtain foreign currency and evade sanctions.
Reported Hezbollah Perspective
The reports present the allegations from US authorities but do not include responses from Hezbollah or the sanctioned individuals.
Financing methods
US Government Position
Treasury said Hezbollah and its allies use oil smuggling, illicit shipping, commodities sales and bulk cash smuggling to generate and move funds across the region.
Reported Hezbollah Perspective
The articles do not provide an alternative account of Hezbollah’s financing methods.
Key facts
- Sanctioning agency
- United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control
- Individuals sanctioned
- 10
- Alleged transfer method
- Couriers traveling on commercial airline flights
- Countries named
- Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran
- Estimated funds moved
- Up to hundreds of millions of dollars
- Legal authority
- Executive Order 13224, as amended
- Earlier US designation
- The US State Department designated Hezbollah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on October 31, 2001
Quotes
US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) press release
U.S. Treasury sanctions announcement
“The network utilizes couriers travelling on commercial airline flights between Lebanon, Turkiye, the UAE and Iran to move up to hundreds of millions of dollars between jurisdictions, providing an avenue outside the formal financial system for Hizballah to obtain foreign currency and evade sanctions.”
republicworld.com
“This determination formally recognises that Hizballah's military operations, external security activities, and major financing networks function as an extension of the IRGC-QF, Iran's primary instrument for conducting terrorism beyond its borders. It is not a Lebanese resistance movement.”
republicworld.com
Sources
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