US sanctions Lebanese officials over Hezbollah influence

US sanctions Lebanese officials over Hezbollah influence

The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions on Thursday targeting Hezbollah-affiliated figures in Lebanon, including lawmakers and state security officials, while accusing them of trying to preserve the Iran-backed militant group’s influence over Lebanese institutions and to obstruct disarmament efforts.

The Treasury said the move included what it described as the first time Washington has sanctioned sitting Lebanese state security officials, naming one accused of providing Hezbollah “illicit support” and intelligence from Lebanon’s General Security agency and another accused of doing so from military intelligence. The U.S. action also expanded to include allies of Hezbollah-affiliated officials.

Treasury’s list included former cabinet minister Mohammed Fneish, described as a senior Hezbollah official. It also included Hezbollah-linked parliamentarians Hassan Fadlallah, Ibrahim al-Moussawi and Hussein Hajj Hassan, who Treasury said had pushed against efforts for disarmament.

The U.S. sanctions also extended to Iran’s diplomatic presence in Lebanon. Treasury said it sanctioned Mohammad Reza Sheibani, the Iranian ambassador designate to Lebanon, who had been ordered to leave Beirut by Lebanon’s foreign ministry.

In its announcement, Treasury accused those named of undermining Lebanon’s ability to disarm Hezbollah. The Treasury action blocks the sanctioned parties from accessing property or financial assets held in the United States, and it said it was continuing to take enforcement action against officials it described as infiltrating the Lebanese government.

The announcement comes as pressure mounts on Beirut to take more decisive steps toward disarming Hezbollah. In early 2025, Lebanon’s president and prime minister came to power on a reformist platform that included a pledge to disarm all non-state groups, including Hezbollah, while Washington and Israel have criticized what they described as the slow pace.

While Lebanese and Israeli officials have been holding low-level talks in Washington aimed at ending the monthslong war, Hezbollah dismissed the ongoing talks. Hezbollah instead backed Iran’s talks with the U.S. mediated by Pakistan, and it rejected local and international calls for disarmament.

The diplomatic track was unfolding alongside continued military pressure. Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon on Tuesday killed at least 19 people, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said, including four women and three children. Military officials from Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold their first direct talks in the Pentagon on May 29.

In a statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Treasury would continue to take action against officials it said had infiltrated the Lebanese government, adding that Hezbollah has waged what he called a “senseless campaign of violence against the Lebanese people.”