U.S. Prepares Sanctions against Hezbollah’s Allies in Lebanon

Shafaq News / The American Wall Street Journal said, on Wednesday, that the United States is preparing a package of sanctions against Hezbollah's allies in Lebanon, to include a number of Lebanese politicians and businessmen, in a move to tighten the screws on the party that Tehran supports.

The administration of US President has followed a policy of sanctions in order to pressure Tehran, and to limit its activities in the Middle East, which” threaten security and peace in the region”  as it says, by targeting pro-Iranian groups in the region.

The American newspaper quoted anonymous officials as saying that Washington wants to move quickly, especially as it is on the verge of rebuilding Beirut, after the disaster of the port explosion caused the Lebanese capital to become a “disaster city”.

The sanctions will freeze the accounts of the targeted persons and institutions, and will consider their funds as part of terrorist financing.

The newspaper pointed out that one of the main allies that US officials are calling for to be subjected to sanctions is Gebran Bassil, the former foreign minister and head of largest Christian party, along with the Amal Movement, which is led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Jeffrey D. Feltman, the former US ambassador to Lebanon, told the newspaper, in an email response, that “Bassil should have been subject to sanctions a long time ago, especially since what he did to politically empower Hezbollah, no one had done before, providing a Christian cover for the militia.”

During the current year, the US Treasury included three persons and 12 entities in Lebanon on terrorist lists due to their association with Hezbollah.

The list included Sheikh Youssef Asi and Jawad Noor al-Din, who are affiliated with the Martyrs Foundation of Hezbollah, as well as Qassem Muhammad Bazzi, who has a connection with a pharmaceutical and medical equipment company linked to the Lebanese Hezbollah.

The list of terrorism included Lebanese entities and a group of pharmaceutical companies inside Lebanon, such as "Al Kawthar", "Amana Fuel", "Amana Plus" and others.

The United States and many countries of the world, such as Britain, Argentina, Canada, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Paraguay, classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.