US issues new sanctions related to Lebanon's Hezbollah

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued sanctions targeting five individuals and three companies involved in a Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network supporting Hezbollah's financial operations.  

The targeted network manages commercial projects and oil smuggling schemes, often working with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) to generate revenue for Hezbollah. The network allegedly uses front companies to funnel millions of dollars into the group's activities.  

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of Hezbollah's financial operations.  

The sanctioned individuals and companies include key figures in Hezbollah's financial network, such as Rashid Qasim al-Bazzal, Fatimah Abdallah Ayyub, Mahasin Mahmud Murtada, Hawra Abdallah Ayyub, and Jamil Mohamad Khafaja. Companies such as Lebanese United Group, Securol Glass Curtains, and Ravee SARL were also designated for their roles in Hezbollah's financial activities.  

The U.S. Treasury emphasized that these sanctions aim to expose Hezbollah's financial infrastructure and cut off the group's access to the global financial system.