US sanctions Hezbollah's Iran-linked 'cash network'
The United States Treasury on Thursday imposed sanctions on a network of alleged Hezbollah financiers it says channelled tens of millions of dollars from Iran into Lebanon this year.
The United States Treasury on Thursday imposed sanctions on a network of alleged Hezbollah financiers it says channelled tens of millions of dollars from Iran into Lebanon this year.
The individuals helped move Iranian funds through both licensed and unlicensed exchange companies, the Treasury said, allowing Hezbollah to rebuild its military infrastructure and sustain its paramilitary units.
“Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous, and secure, but that can only happen if Hizballah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control,” said John K. Hurley, the US undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in a statement.
Efforts to curb Hezbollah’s military power have intensified but borne little fruit since a ceasefire with Israel in June 2024.
The Lebanese group argues that its weapons are needed to defend the country’s from Israel, but rival factions in Lebanon’s fragmented political landscape say the group undermines the state and serves Tehran’s interests.
This message was delivered by Iran's President Joseph Aoun directly to Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, during his visit to Lebanon in late September.
Larijani rejected accusations of interference, saying those pushing for disarmament, not Tehran, were meddling in Lebanese affairs.
‘Cash network’
The latest measures target Hezbollah operatives who, according to US officials, oversee the influx of Iranian money generated through covert dealings which contravene US sanctions, including the sale of oil and other goods.
According to the Treasury, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps–Quds Force has transferred more than $1bn to Hezbollah since January 2025.
Among those sanctioned is Ossama Jaber, a Hezbollah member accused of collecting and converting tens of millions of dollars between September 2024 and February 2025.
Washington also moved against figures linked to Hezbollah’s finance team, whose structure has been in flux since the death last year of its long-time chief, Muhammad Qasir, and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria — a key financial bridge to Iran for decades.
Qasir’s responsibilities were split among several relatives and associates, including his son Ja’far and nephew Ali, both of whom have already been sanctioned by the US.
Hezbollah has been listed by the US as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997.
