US sanctions nine individuals in Lebanon over alleged role in preserving Hezbollah influence

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday sanctioned nine individuals for "obstructing the peace process in Lebanon and impeding the disarmament of" Hezbollah. 

According to a statement, these officials include individuals “embedded across Lebanon’s parliament, military, and security sectors,” where they aim to preserve the group’s “influence over key Lebanese state institutions.”

The “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,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. 

The sanctioned individuals include: Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb Fanich, Hassan Nizammeddine Fadlallah, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, Ahmad Asaad Baalbaki, Ali Ahmad Safawi, Khattar Nasser Eldin, and Samir Hamadi.

“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC,” the statement also noted.