US sanctions Hizballah operatives and fundraisers

The United States Treasury has imposed new sanctions on the Iran-back Hizballah group Thursday, targeting four of their operatives and an affiliated business.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

20 October, 2016

Hizballah is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States [AFP]

The United States Treasury has imposed new sanctions on the Iran-back Hizballah group Thursday, targeting four of their operatives and an organisation that has helped them.

Elsewhere, the US State Department used counter-terror laws to impose sanctions on Hizballah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai.

According to the State Department, Tabatabai, a Hizballah special forces commander, has been deployed in Syria and has been spotted in Yemen.

The measures will bar US citizens from conducting business with the individuals and the organisation, Global Cleaners SARL, that are sanctioned.

According to the US Treasury, Saudi Arabia has taken similar action against some of the same people.

The individuals in question were named as Muhammad al-Mukhtar Kallas, Hasan Jamal-al-Din, Yosef Ayad and Muhammad Ghaleb Hamdar.

The US Treasury said Kallas and Jamal-al-Din assisted Hizballah financier Adham Tabaja with financial services.

The transactions in question involved work for the al-Inmaa Engineering and contracting LLC company.

According to the Treasury, Tabaja was an owner of Global Cleaners, a company that had sanitation contacts in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Hamdar and Ayad, who the US Treasury says were members of Hizballah's security organisation, were targeted for planning and supporting acts of terror with the group, which is proscribed by the US.

Hamdar was apprehended in the Peruvian capital Lima in October 2014 on suspicion of plotting attacks in the country.

Backed by Iran, Hizballah is seen by many as acting in the interests of Tehran in the Middle East. This relationship has been raised as a cause for concern by US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry.

The group is heavily involved in the Syrian civil war, where it is backing President Bashar al-Assad against Syria's rebels.

Opponents of the Obama administration in the US have said that it has been too lenient on Iran's partners in the Middle East. This criticism has increased since the lifting of sanctions on Iran last year.