The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned three Hezbollah-linked operatives it says funneled tens of millions of dollars from Iran through Lebanon’s cash-based exchange houses this year, part of transfers exceeding $1 billion since January 2025.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Ossama Jaber, Ja’far Muhammad Qasir and Samer Kasbar under Executive Order 13224, saying the trio helped channel funds from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Qods Force (IRGC‑QF) to Hezbollah by exploiting money exchange houses in Lebanon’s largely cash economy. The names were added to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List on November 6. (home.treasury.gov)
Treasury said IRGC‑QF has transferred more than $1 billion to Hezbollah since January 2025, mostly via exchange companies. It alleged that between September 2024 and February 2025, Jaber “collected or converted tens of millions of dollars” for the group through multiple money changers. (home.treasury.gov)
“Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous, and secure—but that can only happen if Hizballah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control,” Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said, framing the action as part of efforts to deny Iran’s proxies access to finance. (home.treasury.gov)
Treasury described the designations as aimed at disrupting Hezbollah’s finance team and its use of front companies. It said Kasbar is a director of Hokoul SAL Offshore, a Hezbollah‑linked firm previously designated by OFAC, and that Ja’far Qasir works alongside other Hezbollah finance operatives. (home.treasury.gov)
The department added that Hezbollah’s financial transfers had been further strained by upheaval in Syria and leadership changes within the group’s finance network, while reiterating that the designations block any U.S.-linked property of the named individuals and restrict U.S. persons from dealing with them. (home.treasury.gov)
Thursday’s action follows a series of 2025 moves targeting Hezbollah’s finances and related networks. In July, Treasury sanctioned senior officials and an entity tied to Al‑Qard Al‑Hassan, a Hezbollah‑controlled financial institution, and in May and July announced additional measures against facilitators linked to Iran and Hezbollah. (home.treasury.gov)
The Washington Post reported in September 2024 that a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel had informed Washington that a planned ground operation in southern Lebanon would be limited in scope—one of several developments underscoring the regional backdrop for U.S. sanctions policy. (washingtonpost.com)
Multiple outlets reported the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024, a shift that regional analysts say complicated longstanding support channels to Hezbollah and Iran’s broader network. (reuters.com)
