U.S. targets Hezbollah with fresh sanctions, emphasizes ties to Iranian government

The United States will on Thursday ​issue fresh sanctions targeting ​Lebanon's Hezbollah, including re-designating it ‌under a ​terrorism authority, according to a statement seen by Reuters, in a move aimed at emphasizing its links ‌to the Iranian government. While Hezbollah is not being designated under any new authority, the Treasury Department is re-designating it as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist "for service ‌to the Iranian regime under the command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods ‌Force," according to the statement.

A U.S. official said that the re-designation was intended to show that Hezbollah is acting on behalf of the Iranian government and update the public record ⁠to ​link the designation to ⁠Hezbollah's actions on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. Hezbollah was first designated ⁠under the authority in 2001 and is also sanctioned by the U.S. as a ​Foreign Terrorist Organization. The United States also designated a group of ⁠10 people on Thursday that it accused of smuggling cash for Hezbollah. The U.S. official said that ⁠the ​measures to be taken on Thursday were separate to further action the U.S. plans to take against Iran, as Washington looks to resolve a ⁠war it began alongside Israel nearly six months ago. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ⁠said earlier ⁠on Thursday that he would hold a press conference on Monday about "the toughest sanctions in history" that Washington plans to ‌impose on Iran.