The U.S. Treasury announced on Thursday that it has sanctioned Jammal Trust Bank SAL, which has allegedly been facilitating transactions on behalf of Hezbollah.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that “Jammal Trust has a longstanding relationship with a key Hezbollah financial entity and provides financial services to the Martyrs Foundation and companies controlled by Hezbollah’s Executive Council. Jammal Trust’s misconduct undermines the integrity of the Lebanese financial system.”
“Today’s designation reflects our determination to counter Hezbollah’s terrorist and illicit activities in Lebanon,” he continued. “We will continue to target individuals and entities involved in financing and providing support to Hezbollah while working closely with the Central Bank of Lebanon and other Lebanese institutions, which work to preserve the integrity and stability of Lebanon’s banking system.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday, “I commend President Trump and the American administration for the important decision to impose sanctions on a Lebanese bank that serves as an Iranian financing arm for the Hezbollah terrorist organization. This is an important step designed to put pressure on Iran and its proxies, which are acting against the State of Israel. I also call on other countries to take action against the Iranian aggression in the Middle East.”
“Treasury is targeting Jammal Trust Bank and its subsidiaries for brazenly enabling Hezbollah’s financial activities,” said Sigal Mandelker, U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “Corrupt financial institutions like Jammal Trust are a direct threat to the integrity of the Lebanese financial system.
“Jammal Trust provides support and services to Hezbollah’s Executive Council and the Martyrs Foundation, which funnels money to the families of suicide bombers,” she continued. “The U.S. will continue to work with the Central Bank of Lebanon to deny Hezbollah access to the international financial system. This action is a warning to all who provide services to this terrorist group.”
In related news, Treasury has sanctioned four individuals charged with moving tens of millions of dollars between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and Hamas.
Muhammad Sarur, Kamal Abdelrahman Aref Awad, Fawaz Muhmud Ali Nasser and Muhammad Kamal al-Ayy allegedly provided support, financial and otherwise, to Hamas from the Quds Force through Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy in Lebanon that, like the IRGC, is a U.S.-designated terrorist group, to Hamas, also a U.S.-designated terrorist group.
“These facilitators funneled tens of millions of dollars from Iran’s Quds Force through Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hamas for terrorist attacks originating from the Gaza Strip. Hamas’s continued violent campaign against innocent civilians and the state of Israel is to the great detriment of the people in Gaza,” said Mandelker.
“This administration will not falter to hold Hamas and its Iranian leaders accountable for their violence,” she emphasized. “Treasury will continue to disrupt terrorist networks by targeting those who generate funds to carry out the Iranian regime’s violent agenda.”