Hezbollah, Amal Slam US Sanctions on Lebanese Officials

By Staff, Agencies

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, strongly denounced the latest US sanctions, calling them a politically driven effort to coerce Lebanon and undermine its institutions.

Hezbollah argued that the measures aim to intimidate the Lebanese people while shielding "Israeli" aggression, following Washington’s inability to halt Lebanon’s resistance efforts.

The US Treasury Department, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control [OFAC], imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon, including lawmakers, security officials, and military figures, on allegations of "obstructing the peace process in Lebanon and hindering the disarmament of Hezbollah".

The sanctions included Hezbollah-affiliated politicians: former minister and MP Mohammad Fneish, MPs Hassan Fadlallah, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, and Hussein al-Hajj Hassan.

They also targeted Iran’s designated ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, along with Amal Movement security officials Ahmad Baalbaki and Ali Safaoui, as well as General Security brigadier Khattar Nasseredine and Lebanese Army colonel Samer Hamadeh.

In its statement, Hezbollah said US accusations target its MPs and officials for resisting disarmament and opposing US-backed plans favoring “Israel”, reflecting the stance of Lebanon’s majority who support resistance and reject submission.

These sanctions are a badge of honor for those targeted and an additional confirmation of the correctness of our position.

"In practical terms, they are worth less than the ink used to write them and will have no tangible impact on our choices or on the continued work of our members and officials in serving their people and defending their interests and sovereignty," the statement read.

Hezbollah further called the sanctions a "badge of honor", vowing they won’t change their political stance or commitment to national defense, and condemned the targeting of military officers as a US move to pressure Lebanon’s security institutions and erode sovereignty.

Additionally, Hezbollah called on Lebanese authorities to protect the country’s constitutional, military, and security institutions, warning against what it described as efforts to subject Lebanon to external influence.

For its part, Lebanon’s Amal Movement condemned the US sanctions imposed on two of its members, describing the measures as "unacceptable and unjustified," saying they directly target the movement’s political role.

Amal said the sanctions against Ahmad Baalbaki and Ali Safaoui are aimed primarily at the movement itself rather than the individuals named.

In its statement, Hezbollah added that the measures reflect an attempt to undermine Amal's political stance, which focuses on national issues and the protection of the state and its institutions.

Amal stressed that the sanctions are part of a broader pattern of external pressure targeting its role in Lebanon’s political landscape, rejecting them outright as interference in domestic affairs.