The US Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against three Hezbollah members accused of funnelling millions of dollars from Iran through Lebanon's cash-based economy, coinciding with renewed Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and growing US pressure on Beirut to accelerate the group's disarmament.
The sanctions, issued by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), target Hezbollah operatives allegedly involved in transferring tens of millions of dollars from Iran, the group's main backer, using money exchange companies that operate largely in cash.
Any assets they hold in the United States will be frozen, and US individuals or entities are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
According to the Treasury, "since January 2025, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Quds Force, which is sanctioned by the United States, has transferred over one billion dollars to Hezbollah, most of it through money exchange companies".
The funds were reportedly used to support Hezbollah forces, rebuild its infrastructure, and resist Lebanese government efforts to extend full sovereign control across the country.
The announcement came ahead of a visit to Lebanon by John K. Hurley, the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, who oversees sanctions on "extremist groups".
Hurley said in a statement that "Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous, and secure, but that can only happen if Hezbollah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control."
"We will work with our Lebanese partners to build a resilient economy that prioritises the interests of all citizens," he added.
The sanctions coincide with heightened tensions on the ground. Israel on Thursday carried out new airstrikes in southern Lebanon, after issuing evacuation warnings to residents of the border towns of Aita al-Shaab, Taybeh, Tair Debba, and Kfar Dounin. A strike on the town of Toura killed one civilian and wounded eight others.
Despite a year-old ceasefire reach in November 2024, Israel has repeatedly struck targets across Lebanon, killing over 150 people since then.
Treasury details on the network
OFAC said Thursday's measures target Hezbollah financial agents "who oversee the movement of funds from Iran", including money generated from covert commercial activities such as the sale of Iranian oil and other goods.
These transactions were channelled through both licensed and unlicensed Lebanese money exchange offices.
The three sanctioned individuals are Osama Jaber, Jafar Mohammad Qasir, and Samer Kasbar, who the Treasury claims have played key roles in collecting, transferring, or laundering Hezbollah-linked funds.
Between September 2024 and February 2025, Jaber reportedly transferred tens of millions of dollars through various exchange houses, some owned or managed by Hezbollah members.
Following the collapse of Syria's Assad regime in December 2024, long a crucial logistical bridge between Hezbollah and Iran, the group's financial network was disrupted, forcing the redistribution of responsibilities within its finance unit after the death of long-time operative Mohammad Qasir.
His son Jafar Qasir and nephew Ali Qasir, both sanctioned by the US, took over portions of that portfolio. In mid-2025, Jafar and Ali attempted to recover the seized oil tanker Arman 114 (formerly Adrian Darya 1), which was transporting Iranian crude on behalf of a Hezbollah-controlled brokerage.
The Treasury also cited coordination between Jafar and Syrian businessman Yasser Hussein Ibrahim, a sanctioned associate of Bashar al-Assad, in facilitating sales of Iranian energy products for Hezbollah. Ibrahim reportedly sought to meet Jafar to arrange a commercial deal through his deputy Samer Kasbar, the director of Hqoul SAL Offshore, another Hezbollah front company.
According to OFAC, Jaber, Qasir, and Kasbar were sanctioned under Executive Order 13224 for “providing material, financial, or technological support” to Hezbollah.
The Treasury said the move underscores the urgent need for Lebanon to curb Hezbollah's financial activities and tighten oversight of the country's exchange sector, which remains largely cash-driven and vulnerable to misuse.