US sanctions Iranian, Hezbollah alleged 'financial network'
3 Min Read
The US. Treasury Department claims that the entities generated "hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of revenue from selling Iranian commodities."
-
The Department of the Treasury's seal outside the Treasury Department building in Washington on May 4, 2021. (AP)
The US imposed sanctions on three businesses and one individual headquartered in Turkey and Lebanon on Wednesday for providing "critical financial support" to a financial network utilized by Iran's Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
The US Treasury Department alleged that the entities generated "hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of revenue from selling Iranian commodities, including to the Syrian government," further claiming that the sales provided important funds to the alleged support of "terrorist activities" in the region.
The Treasury Department announced penalties on Mira Ihracat Ithalat Petrol, a Turkish company that buys, transports, and sells Iranian goods globally, as well as its CEO and owner, Ibrahim Talal al-Uwayr, also known as Ibrahim Agaoglu.
It also targeted two Lebanon-based entities: Yara Offshore SAL and Hydro Company for Drilling Equipment Rental.
As such, all property of those targeted in the United States or that fall under the control of U.S. persons is blocked.
US regulations generally bar US persons from dealing with the property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. Further, non-US financial institutions and others that engage in certain dealings with those sanctioned may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action.
Biden says decided on response to attack on US base in Jordan
US President Joe Biden revealed Tuesday that he had reached a decision on how to respond to the recent drone strike that killed three American troops in Jordan as part of the ongoing operations against the US forces in the region for their complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Despite pledging a response against what was claimed by his administration to be the Iraqi Resistance faction, Kataib Hezbollah, he emphasized his reluctance to escalate the situation into a broader conflict in the region.
Addressing reporters at the White House, President Biden placed blame on Iran for supplying the weapons used in the first fatal attack on a US military base since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7.
With the upcoming election adding pressure, Biden hinted at impending actions in response to the operation, though he refrained from disclosing the details of said response he pledged.
The White House issued a warning, stating that "multiple actions" were likely but offered no further information on the nature of the response.
US President Joe Biden has blamed "radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq," likely referring to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which announced earlier this month that they would escalate their attacks after the US conducted several raids in Iraq and assassinated a military official in central Baghdad.
Biden also reaffirmed that the US forces are now "still gathering the facts of this attack," stressing, "We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt -- we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing."
