US Treasury Sanctions Individuals it Claims Helped Finance Hezbollah
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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says his country cooperated with the government of Qatar and took action against a major Hezbollah financial network.
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Washington sanctions individuals claimed to be linked to Hezbollah
The US Treasury announced in a statement on Wednesday that it has imposed new sanctions on individuals over alleged Hezbollah ties.
The United States and Qatar Take Coordinated Action Against Hizballah Financiers | U.S. Department of the Treasury https://t.co/G3pcXb6XW8
— Brigitte K. Mountain (@Brigitte_khair) September 29, 2021
The department stated that sanctions were imposed on citizens from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and a Palestinian, all of whom were claimed to be linked with Hezbollah: "The United States, through the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the Government of Qatar both designated in coordinated actions a major Hezbollah financial network based in the Arabian Peninsula," the statement read.
"Hezbollah seeks to abuse the international financial system by developing global networks of financiers to fill its coffers and support its terrorist activity," said Andrea Gacki, director of the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Gacki also added: "The cross-border nature of this Hezbollah financial network underscores the importance of our continued cooperation with international partners, such as the Government of Qatar, to protect the U.S. and international financial systems from terrorist abuse."
The Treasury Department also published the names of the individuals, Ali Reda Hassan al-Banai (Ali al-Banai), Ali Reda al-Qassabi Lari (Ali Lari), Abd al-Muayyid al-Banai (Abd al-Muayyid), Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Nabi Shams (Shams), Yahya Muhammad al-Abd-al-Muhsin (Abd-al-Muhsin), Majdi Fa’iz al-Ustadz (Ustadz), and Sulaiman al-Banai.
The United States and the Government of Qatar have taken coordinated action against a major Hizballah financial network based in the Gulf. We will continue to cooperate with international partners to protect the U.S. and international financial systems from terrorist abuse.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 29, 2021
A couple of weeks ago, the US Treasury announced that Washington imposed new sanctions on four Lebanese nationals over alleged Hezbollah ties.
At the time, the Department of the Treasury announced “designating members of an international network” of financial facilitators and front companies “including 8 Iranian nationals and 2 Chinese nationals operating in support of Hezbollah and Iran.”
