US Imposes Sanctions on Hezbollah-Linked Businessmen in Lebanon

An exterior view of the building of US Department of the Treasury is seen on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
An exterior view of the building of US Department of the Treasury is seen on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
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US Imposes Sanctions on Hezbollah-Linked Businessmen in Lebanon

An exterior view of the building of US Department of the Treasury is seen on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
An exterior view of the building of US Department of the Treasury is seen on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. (AFP)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on three businessmen with ties to Hezbollah, saying their activity as financial facilitators for the Iran-backed group was exploiting Lebanon's economic resources at a time of crisis for that country.

The Treasury Department has added Adel Diab, Ali Mohamad Daoun, Jihad Salem Alame, and their company Dar Al Salam for Travel & Tourism, to its sanctions list, the department said in a statement.

"Through businessmen like those designated today, Hezbollah gains access to material and financial support through the legitimate commercial sector to fund its acts of terrorism and attempts to destabilize Lebanon's political institutions," the US Treasury said in the statement.

Lebanon's economy has been in crisis since 2019 when it collapsed under a mountain of debt. Its currency plunged to a new low last week, and swathes of the nation have been driven into poverty.

Lebanon's cabinet will hold its first meeting in three months next week, local media reported on Monday, after Hezbollah and another group, Amal, ended their boycott of the cabinet at the weekend.

The two groups, which back several ministers, had been boycotting the cabinet in a dispute over the conduct of an investigation into a huge explosion at Beirut's port in 2020.

The US Treasury said Tuesday's action requires all property owned by the three men and their business that is in the United States to be blocked and reported to the department, and that all transactions related to the property by U.S. citizens be prohibited.



Two Officials: Israel is Being Attacked Daily by One-Way Drones from Iraq

A member of the Israeli security forces works next to a damaged car at the site of a drone attack, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Karmiel, northern Israel October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
A member of the Israeli security forces works next to a damaged car at the site of a drone attack, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Karmiel, northern Israel October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
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Two Officials: Israel is Being Attacked Daily by One-Way Drones from Iraq

A member of the Israeli security forces works next to a damaged car at the site of a drone attack, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Karmiel, northern Israel October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
A member of the Israeli security forces works next to a damaged car at the site of a drone attack, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Karmiel, northern Israel October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Iranian-backed militias are launching one-way attack drones against Israel from inside Iraq, which US and partner forces have had to intercept, two officials told The Associated Press.
Both a US defense official and a regional security official said the one-way drones have been an issue since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, and aren’t a retaliation from Iran for Israel’s strikes last week.
However the drone attacks have increased in number in recent weeks. There’s been an average of about five launches a day from within Iraq targeting Israel by Iranian-aligned militia groups, and within the last week, eight UAVs were fired in one 24-hour period, the regional security officer said.
US and partnered forces have been intercepting the attack drones, both officials said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been made public on the Iraq-launched drone attacks.
The ongoing launches have increased the chance that Israel will respond directly to those attacks, the regional security official said.