WASHINGTON / Content Syndication Services / — The United States imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon, including parliamentarians, security officials and an Iranian diplomat, accusing them of enabling Hezbollah to undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and obstruct disarmament efforts. The U.S. Department of the Treasury said the designations targeted people embedded across Lebanon’s parliament, military and security sectors, where Washington said they supported Hezbollah’s influence over state institutions.
The action, announced May 21, was taken by the Office of Foreign Assets Control under Executive Order 13224, as amended, a U.S. counterterrorism authority used to block property and restrict financial activity involving designated persons. The U.S. Department of State said the measures were directed at individuals accused of impeding Hezbollah’s disarmament and supporting the group’s role inside Lebanese institutions.
Those designated were Ibrahim al-Moussawi, Ahmad Asaad Baalbaki, Hassan Nizammeddine Fadlallah, Abdel-Mottaleb Mohamed Fanich, Samir Adnan Hamadi, Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, Khattar Nasser Eldin, Ali Ahmad Safawi and Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani. The U.S. Department of the Treasury identified the group as Hezbollah aligned officials, political representatives, security figures and a diplomat linked to Iran’s representation in Lebanon.
Sanctions target political and security figures
Treasury said Fanich, Fadlallah, al-Moussawi and Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan were designated for acting for or on behalf of Hezbollah. The department identified Fanich as a senior figure in Hezbollah’s executive council, Fadlallah and al-Moussawi as Hezbollah parliamentary representatives, and Al-Hajj Hassan as a longtime Hezbollah member of parliament who opposed the group’s disarmament.
The sanctions also covered Sheibani, whom Treasury described as Iran’s ambassador designate to Lebanon. Treasury said Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry had declared him persona non grata after withdrawing approval of his candidacy and ordering him to leave Beirut. The same action designated Baalbaki and Safawi, described by Treasury as Amal Movement security officials aligned with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
OFAC blocks assets and transactions
Two Lebanese security officials were also named in the action. Treasury said Khattar Nasser Eldin, a General Directorate for General Security official, and Samir Hamadi, a Lebanese Armed Forces intelligence officer, had provided intelligence support to Hezbollah during the conflict over the past year. The designations place both men on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List administered by OFAC.
As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals that are in the United States or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from transactions involving blocked property, while entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked under U.S. sanctions rules.