Washington (EFE).- The United States Treasury Department announced on Thursday sanctions against nine officials it considers to be linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, accused of advancing Iran’s agenda and undermining Lebanese sovereignty by obstructing peace processes.
«Today’s designations target individuals who are impeding Hizballah’s disarmament, including members of parliament, an Iranian diplomat violating Lebanon’s sovereignty, and Lebanese security officials who have abused their roles to benefit a terrorist organization,» said State Department spokesman Tommy Piggot in a statement.
The nine individuals added to the sanctions list by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) include Ibrahim Al-Mousaoui, Hassan Fadlallah, and Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, three Lebanese deputies linked to Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc.
Also included are Hezbollah official and former Lebanese minister Mohammad Fneish and Amal Movement security officials Ahmad Baalbaki and Abu Ahmad Safawi.
The list also includes Mohammad Reza Sheibani, the person appointed by Iran as ambassador to Lebanon, whose credentials were later withdrawn by the Lebanese authorities, who declared him persona non grata in the country.
«Hizballah is a terrorist organization and must be fully disarmed. Treasury will continue to take action against officials who have infiltrated the Lebanese government and are enabling Hizballah to wage its senseless campaign of violence against the Lebanese people and obstruct lasting peace,» wrote Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on X.
Pigott insisted that «this is only the beginning» and warned that those «still shielding or collaborating with this terrorist organization, or otherwise undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty, should understand that they will be held accountable.»
«A stable, secure, and independent Lebanon requires the full disarmament of Hizballah and the restoration of the Lebanese government’s exclusive authority over security matters throughout the country,» concluded the State Department spokesman.
For the first time in over three decades, Lebanon and Israel agreed to open a dialogue under the auspices of the US in an attempt to stop Israeli bombings in parts of Beirut and southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah is not at the negotiating table in Washington and has explicitly rejected the negotiations, which have shown little substantial progress thus far. EFE
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