The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Lebanon’s Hezbollah, accusing the group of acting on behalf of the Iranian government and targeting a network allegedly involved in moving money for the organisation.
The US Treasury Department said on Thursday that it had redesignated Hezbollah “for service to the Iranian regime under the command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.”
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the move was intended to underscore Washington’s position that Hezbollah is acting on behalf of the Iranian government, particularly the Quds Force.
Hezbollah was first designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in 1997 and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2001.
The latest sanctions target 10 individuals accused by Washington of helping to smuggle cash for Hezbollah. They include a Turkish businessman whom US authorities accuse of running a network of couriers that moves money between countries in the region and Hezbollah’s base in Lebanon.
According to the Treasury Department, the businessman used exchange houses in Turkey as fronts and provided front companies and bank accounts for financial transfers linked to Iran’s Quds Force.
Several couriers were also included in the sanctions.
US sanctions generally seek to cut off financial networks by freezing targeted individuals’ assets, restricting banks from doing business with designated entities and blocking the provision of goods, services and other forms of material support.
The latest action comes as Washington steps up economic pressure on Iran amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that any country providing “any type of lifeline to Iran” would face economic consequences.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said on Thursday that Washington would unveil what he described as “the toughest sanctions in history” against Iran at a press conference on Monday.
However, a US official said Thursday’s Hezbollah sanctions were not part of the new measures being prepared specifically against Iran.
The United States and Israel have been engaged in a nearly six-month-old war involving Iran, with Washington seeking to increase pressure on Tehran while pushing for an end to the conflict.
Hezbollah’s Longstanding Ties With Iran
Hezbollah was founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards during Lebanon’s 1975–90 civil war.
The group emerged as part of Iran’s effort to spread the Islamic Revolution that began in 1979 and oppose Israeli forces, which had invaded Lebanon in 1982.
Hezbollah has since developed into both a political organisation and an armed group in Lebanon. It also operates social services, including schools and hospitals, and has strong support among Lebanon’s Shi’ite Muslim population.
The fresh US sanctions further highlight Washington’s efforts to disrupt Hezbollah’s finances and its links with Iran as the Trump administration prepares broader economic measures against Tehran.
