New York, August 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned 10 individuals allegedly involved in a network that transfers cash to Hezbollah, accusing the group of using commercial airline couriers to move large sums outside the formal financial system.
According to the Treasury Department, the network moves potentially hundreds of millions of dollars between Lebanon, Turkiye, the UAE and Iran through couriers travelling on commercial flights. The US said the arrangement provides Hezbollah with access to foreign currency while helping it evade sanctions.
“OFAC is also re-designating Hizballah for service to the Iranian regime under the command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF),” the Treasury said in its announcement.
The latest action was taken under Executive Order 13224, the US counterterrorism authority used to target individuals and entities accused of supporting terrorism.
The Treasury noted that the US State Department designated Hezbollah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in October 2001, citing the group’s involvement in activities that pose a threat to US nationals and US national security, foreign policy or economic interests.
The department also alleged that Hezbollah and its allies use multiple financing mechanisms, including oil smuggling, illicit shipping, commodities trading and bulk cash smuggling, to generate and transfer funds across the region.
According to OFAC, the network targeted in the latest sanctions was previously associated with Behnam Shahriyari, a now-deceased financial official of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. The Treasury described the network as one example of the methods allegedly used to channel financial support to Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups in the region.
The sanctions form part of Washington’s broader efforts to disrupt Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure and restrict its access to international financial channels.
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