US targets Hizballah financial network in Africa and Middle East

WASHINGTON, Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted the business operations of Hizballah by designating six individuals and seven entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

As a result of today’s designations, all property and interests in property of these persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, according to a statement issued by the department.

It said the individuals include five Lebanese and an Iraqi citizen with connection to Al-Inmaa Engineering and Contracting.

It added that the seven entities have headquarters in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Lebanon and Ghana.

“Hizballah is a terrorist organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of Americans. It is also Iran’s primary proxy used to undermine legitimate Arab governments across the Middle East. The Administration is determined to expose and disrupt Hizballah’s networks, including those across the Middle East and West Africa, used to fund their illicit operations,” said Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.

“The Treasury Department will continue to sever Hizballah from the international financial system, and we will be relentless in identifying, exposing, and dismantling Hizballah’s financial support networks globally,” he stated.

Hizballah was designated by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in October 1997

Source: Emirates News Agency