US, Qatar announce joint sanctions against Hezbollah financing

The United States and Qatar took coordinated action targeting a Hezbollah financial network in the Arabian Peninsula, accusing them of providing and facilitating material support to the Lebanese group.

The U.S Treasury Department announced sanctions on Wednesday against what it called a major Hezbollah financial network based in the Arabian Peninsula.

The administration targeted seven individuals, citizens of Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as well as a Palestinian national and a real estate firm that it said funnelled millions of dollars to Hezbollah and institutions linked to the group.

The US sanctions freeze their assets in the United States and make it a potential crime for American citizens to do business with them.

Doha also confirmed it imposed sanctions in coordination with Washington on seven individuals and one entity, without identifying them.

Qatar officials said in a statement, “This decision comes in light of the cooperation with the United States within the framework of Qatar’s fulfilment of its obligations and its unrelenting efforts in combating terrorism at the local, regional and international levels.”

The director of the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Andrea M Gacki, accused Hezbollah of abusing the international financial system to fund terrorist activity.

“The cross-border nature of this Hizballah financial network underscores the importance of our continued cooperation with international partners, such as the Government of Qatar, to protect the U.S. and international financial systems from terrorist abuse,” Gacki said.

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Kamila/Al-Jazeera