Trump administration, pushing back on Iran’s influence, slaps fresh sanctions on Hezbollah
The Trump administration announced Friday that it was slapping fresh sanctions on Hezbollah-linked individuals and businesses in Africa and the Middle East — a move to limit not only the operations of the terrorist group, but also Iran’s influence in the region.The Treasury announced that it is targeting a network of companies and individuals in Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia and other countries linked to Hezbollah financier Adham Tabaja. The sanctions freeze assets in the U.S. and prevent Americans from doing business with any of the six individuals and seven companies. The U.S. has designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization that also plays a major political role in Lebanon.Senior officials told the Associated Press that it is the “first wave” of a campaign to put pressure on the Iranian-linked organization. In a statement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described the group as “responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans.”“It is also Iran’s primary proxy used to undermine legitimate Arab governments across the Middle East,” he said. “The Administration is determined to expose and disrupt Hezballah’s networks, including those across the Middle East and West Africa, used to fund their illicit operations.”