US Treasury imposes sanctions on Hezbollah financier and seven companies

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on Muhammad Abdallah Al-Amin and seven of his companies on Thursday for providing financial and material support for Hezbollah. (AP)

WASHINGTON: The US Treasury imposed sanctions on Muhammad Abdallah Al-Amin and seven of his companies on Thursday for providing financial and material support for Hezbollah.
The treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Al-Amin as a “Specifically Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT).
“Hezbollah is an Iranian-proxy, and this administration is focused on exposing and disrupting its terrorist funding networks. We are exerting extraordinary pressure on Hezbollah financiers to halt their pernicious activities in Lebanon and beyond,” Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said.
“Our action should serve as a warning that we will impose consequences on anyone engaging in business relationships with Al-Amin or other Hezbollah support networks. The treasury has taken more actions against Hezbollah this year than ever before, and we are fully committed to shutting down this terrorist network.”

OFAC’s designation of Al-Amin and his companies comes after action was taken in February targeting the Tabaja network operating in West Africa and Lebanon, owned by Adham Tabaja, who was also designated an SDGT on June 6.
Tabaja maintains direct ties to senior Hezbollah officials and Hezbollah’s operational component, which is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing Hezbollah attacks worldwide. Tabaja also holds properties in Lebanon on behalf of Hezbollah.
Al-Amin was designated for “assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, Tabaja,” according to a treasury statement.
Al-Amin concealed funds for Tabaja, and Tabaja held a significant amount of money in Al-Amin’s name at a Lebanese bank. Al-Amin has also served as a liaison between Tabaja and banking officials and has assisted Tabaja in circumventing the impact of sanctions.
In addition to his direct support to Tabaja, Al-Amin was involved in financial activities with Muhammad Fallah Kallas, whom OFAC sanctioned on October 20, 2016.
The statement added: “All property and interests in property of those persons designated today that are subject to US jurisdiction are now blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.”