The U.S. Sanctions One Individual and Seven Companies Linked to Hezbollah Lebanon

On Thursday, October 12, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Mohammad Abdullah Al-Amin, a Lebanese businessman, and seven companies owned by him for financial and service support to Hezbollah Lebanon. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury has placed Mohammad Abdullah Al-Amin on the global terrorist list. The U.S. Treasury states that Al-Amin has provided financial support to this Lebanese Shiite group through an individual named Adham Hussein Tabaja, who has ties to Hezbollah's leadership. Adham Tabaja has been on the U.S. sanctions list since 2015. Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, noted Hezbollah's dependence on Iran, stating that the U.S. government is focused on exposing and disrupting terrorist financing networks. We are applying extraordinary pressure on Hezbollah's financial supporters to halt their subversive activities in Lebanon and the region. The U.S. Treasury also mentioned that seven companies owned or controlled by Mohammad Abdullah Al-Amin have been sanctioned. The U.S. has requested Lebanon to prevent any access Hezbollah may have to the financial sector. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Mohammad Abdullah Al-Amin and these seven companies are located in Lebanon. Previously, Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, stated that the U.S. government is exposing and disrupting Hezbollah and Iran's terror networks whenever possible, including those linked to the Central Bank of Iran. The U.S. has designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 1997. U.S. officials and Washington's allies, including Saudi Arabia and Israel, have consistently warned about Hezbollah's growing power worldwide. A U.S. State Department official previously stated, 'The Iranian government created Hezbollah and financially supports it to destabilize the entire region and the world. All of this is at the expense of the Iranian people... The people of Iran and Lebanon deserve better.' Hezbollah militants are among the most important forces supporting Bashar al-Assad's government in the Syrian civil war. However, Hezbollah also plays a significant role in Lebanon's political arena. Hezbollah and its allied groups achieved a notable victory in the parliamentary elections held on May 6. In this context, the U.S. has sanctioned Hezbollah's representative in Iran and five companies, and the U.S. and Gulf Arab countries have sanctioned Hezbollah leaders. Joint investigations by the U.S. and Colombia regarding Hezbollah's income-generating activities in Colombia are ongoing. The U.S. has urged Lebanon to prevent any access Hezbollah may have to the financial sector. The Secretary-General of Hezbollah has denied the group's involvement in drug trafficking.