Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The United States has imposed sanctions on nine people accused of causing Hezbollah to “undermine the Lebanese government”, the latest attempt by the US destroying the group global financial network.
In a statement on Thursday, the US Treasury Department said the individuals were selected “to hinder the peace process in Lebanon and to prevent the deployment of weapons” to Hezbollah. The US Department of State said those sanctioned included members of the Lebanese parliament, Iran’s ambassador and security officials in Lebanese government agencies who “abused” their positions.
Recommended Articles
list of 4 itemsend of series
“What it’s saying is if you’re in politics, business, or security services – and you’ve been supporting Hezbollah and undermining the authority of the Lebanese government – think twice; there will be real consequences,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
The nine include four members of Hezbollah, including Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb Fanich, the leader of Hezbollah; Nizammeddine Fadlallah, one of the group’s elected members of the Lebanese parliament, as well as longtime officials Ibrahim al-Moussawi and Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, according to the US Treasury.
The list also included Iran’s ambassador-elect to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, and two security chiefs of the Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement, Ahmad Asaad Baalbaki and Ali Ahmad Safawi.
Finally, two security officials – the head of the branch and the Lebanese army, Samir Hamadi, and Khattar Nasser Eldin, head of the General Directorate for General Security – faced punishment for sharing “important intelligence” with Hezbollah last year, the Treasury said.
US authorities are also offering a reward of up to $10m for information that can cause “disruption of the financial means” of the group.
In response, Hezbollah said in a statement that the sanctions were “an attempt to intimidate the free Lebanese people” and “will have no real impact on our decisions”.
“These sanctions act as a badge of honor for those who want them, and an additional confirmation of the path we have chosen,” the group added.
The attack on Israel continues
The latest sanctions come as Israel continues to bombard Lebanon with shelling and airstrikes, despite a so-called ceasefire that was in place. recently added for 45 days.
Israeli terrorists attacked several towns in southern Lebanon on Thursday, killing one person on a motorcycle in the Tire district. Israeli shelling was reported in the towns of Baraachit and Kfar Dounine, while a separate drone attack hit the town of Yaroun.
Also in the district of Tire, the whole family was put to sleep after the Israeli air attack on the town of Deir Qanoun en-Nahr itself. killed at least 14 people on Tuesday.
Hezbollah, for its part, said it had carried out several attacks targeting Israeli forces in southern areas of the country, including near Deir Siryan and Qouzah.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 3,089 people and wounded at least 9,397 since March 2, when Israel resumed its military operation in the country.
Upcoming news
At the same time, the US has been facilitating peace talks between Israel and the Lebanese government.
Political talks are expected to resume on June 2 and 3, while security talks are scheduled for May 29 at the Pentagon between Israeli and Lebanese military representatives.
Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapalo, who is based in Washington, DC, said the sanctions are “part of” the White House’s “fight against people who say they stand in the way of disarming Hezbollah – which is one of the key points of the negotiations”.
Pigott told Al Jazeera that US officials are “focusing on establishing a space for faith-based dialogue between the government of Lebanon and Israel”.
“What we have seen from Hezbollah is a direct attempt to disrupt the negotiations,” he added.
Hezbollah has done so repeatedly he refused the talksthat has changed different opinions in Lebanon.
The group said the announcement of the sanctions was “intimidating our security agencies” ahead of the talks.
“It is imperative for the Lebanese authorities to protect their law, security, and military institutions,” it added.
However, in a statement on Thursday, the Lebanese army confirmed “the army will take part in talks at the Pentagon” and “is committed to national policy and military doctrine”.
