Sanctioning of Three Senior Hizballah Officials

PRESS STATEMENT

MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE

JULY 9, 2019

The United States designated three senior Hizballah political and security officials today who leverage their positions to facilitate Hizballah and the Iranian regime's malign efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty. These officials have exploited their positions to smuggle illicit goods into Lebanon, pressure Lebanese financial institutions to assist Hizballah, undermine Lebanese institutions, and evade U.S. sanctions against Hizballah facilitators and financiers.

Today's designations are part of the United States' efforts to counter Hizballah's corrupting influence in Lebanon, and to support Lebanon's stability, prosperity, and sovereignty. The United States' maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime – the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism – and its proxies has already succeeded in limiting the financial support Hizballah receives. As a result, this designated terrorist organization has been forced to take unprecedented austerity measures. For example, in March 2019, for the first time ever, Hizballah's leader Hassan Nasrallah made a public appeal for financial support.

As these designations demonstrate, any distinction between Hizballah's political and military wings is artificial – a fact Hizballah itself acknowledges. We call on our allies and partners to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization.