The US targets a network of companies controlled by Abdul Jalil Mallah and four vessels associated with his fleet for their role in supporting Hizballah and Iran's destabilizing activities.
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| The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities involved in facilitating illicit trade benefiting Hizballah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. Symbolic Image |
Washington, D.C. – September 26, 2024:
The United States has imposed sanctions on one individual and four entities, and identified nine vessels as blocked property for their involvement in facilitating illicit trade to Syria and East Asia in support of Hizballah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the sanctions, which were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which targets foreign persons who have materially assisted the government of Syria or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Among the entities sanctioned is a network of companies controlled by Abdul Jalil Mallah, a Syrian businessman who has been previously designated by the U.S. government for his involvement in supporting the Syrian regime. The sanctions also target four vessels associated with Mallah's fleet, which have been used to transport goods to Syria in violation of U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. government has accused Hizballah and Iran of using illicit trade networks to finance their activities and evade sanctions. By targeting these networks, the U.S. aims to disrupt their ability to obtain the resources they need to continue their destabilizing activities in the region.
"Today's action reaffirms our commitment to disrupting sanctions evasion networks that benefit Iran-aligned actors in the Middle East," said a Treasury Department spokesperson. "We will continue to expose the efforts of these actors to exploit the international financial system to finance Iran's partners and proxies."
The sanctions impose restrictions on U.S. persons and prohibits them from engaging in transactions involving the designated entities and individuals. Additionally, the blocked property is subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
The U.S. government has urged other countries to join its efforts to pressure Iran and Hizballah to change their behavior. The sanctions are part of a broader campaign by the U.S. to counter the influence of Iran and its proxies in the Middle East.