On December 1, The United States imposed sanctions on two individuals and two companies based in Lebanon for providing financial services to the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. Another individual was also designated for facilitating weapons procurement for the terrorist organization.
The United States designated Hezbollah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997 and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2001. Hezbollah is responsible for some of the world’s most notorious terror attacks. It continues its malicious activity to the detriment of Lebanon, the region, and beyond.
In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department said the new designations target individuals and companies that manage and enable Hezbollah’s overarching financial apparatus operating throughout Lebanon.
The first individual is Adel Mohamad Mansour, long-time executive Director of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a U.S.-designated Hezbollah-run quasi financial institution. Another company run by Mansour, Al-Khobara for Accounting, Auditing and Studies, was designated as well.
The sanctions also target the firm Auditors for Accounting and Auditing and one of its managing partners, Naser Hasan Neser. Auditors provides financial services to Hezbollah’s Central Finance Unit. The Treasury Department said Neser reports to senior Hezbollah finance officials about the activities of the firm.
Finally, Hassan Khalil was designated for actively working to procure weapons on behalf of Hezbollah.
“The individuals and companies being designated today have enabled Hezbollah’s financial apparatus operating throughout Lebanon,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson in a statement. “Their public personae as financial professionals and institutions is just another way Hezbollah hides its abuse of the financial system to support its destabilizing agenda.”
State Department Spokesperson Ned Price noted that Hezbollah “remains a terrorist organization that undermines Lebanon’s stability and security, as well as regional stability, even as the Lebanese people suffer through a dire financial crisis.”
The United States, as the State Department has made clear, will continue to expose individuals and entities who support Hezbollah’s dangerous and destabilizing activities.
