OFAC sanctions Iranian-backed Hizballah officials

Financial Crimes Department of Treasury OFAC Sanctions Iran Of Interest to Non-US Persons

On July 9, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13224 against three Iranian-backed Hizballah political and security figures for “exploit[ing] Lebanon’s financial and security elements” in furtherance of Hizballah’s and Iran’s activities in support of terrorists and acts of terrorism. As a result of the sanctions, “all property and interests in property of these targets that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC.” OFAC notes that its regulations “generally prohibit” U.S. persons from participating in transactions with the designated individuals. The designated individuals are also subject to secondary sanctions pursuant to the Hizballah Financial Sanctions Regulations, which implement the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015, and allow OFAC the authority to “prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for Hizballah, or a person acting on behalf of or at the direction of, or owned or controlled by, Hizballah.”