US targets Lebanon's Hezbollah with new sanctions

The United States imposed new sanctions on Thursday targeting two senior Hezbollah officials and two financial facilitators for their role in coordinating financial transfers to the Iran-backed group, the Treasury Department said.

The move came as President Donald Trump announced that the United States was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, saying Tehran had "sort of" agreed to the terms.

The individuals sanctioned are based in Lebanon and Iran and reportedly worked to funnel money to Hezbollah from foreign donors, the department said in a statement. Treasury noted that overseas donations make up a significant portion of the group’s budget.

"Thursday's action highlights Hezbollah's extensive global reach through its network of terrorist donors and supporters, particularly in Tehran," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to address Iran’s support for terrorism, Treasury will continue to intensify economic pressure on the key individuals in the Iranian regime and its proxies who enable these deadly activities."

(Reuters)