The US Treasury Department announced on 20/8/2023 that the legal designation of Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization" had been revised. It noted that the Lebanese armed group serves Iran and operates "under the command of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)".

The US first designated Hezbollah as a "foreign terrorist organization" in 1997, later updating it to a "specially designated global terrorist" organization in 2001.

A US State Department official stated that Washington's recent action aims to demonstrate that "Hezbollah is a proxy force for Tehran, rather than operating independently as previously implied". The official added, "This underscores that Hezbollah operates without regard for Lebanon's sovereignty, its people, or the Lebanese state".

Hezbollah armed group members in southern Lebanon in 2023. *AP*

The US Treasury Department also announced new sanctions targeting Hezbollah, specifically 10 individuals believed to be part of a cash transfer network for the armed group. All assets these 10 individuals hold in the US or under American control will be frozen. US citizens are generally prohibited from conducting business with them.

The US Treasury Department stated that this network has moved hundreds of millions of USD between various jurisdictions using commercial flights through Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iran. This provided a route outside the international financial system, helping Hezbollah acquire foreign currency and evade sanctions.

A US official told Reuters that this action is not among the measures Washington had announced it would take against Tehran.

President Donald Trump announced on 19/8/2023 the launch of a large-scale campaign targeting Iran's economy, threatening sanctions against any country supporting Tehran. He declared this would be the "most damaging" economic campaign ever implemented against a nation, characterizing it as an "economic war and isolation at an unprecedented level".

A destroyed house in southern Lebanon after an Israeli strike on 15/8/2023. *AP*

The US initiated this action against Hezbollah as it promotes direct dialogues between Israel and Lebanon, two nations technically still at war. Hezbollah has condemned these negotiations.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East conflict in March after the armed group Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel to show support for Iran. Israel responded with intense airstrikes and a ground operation, resulting in over 4,300 fatalities, according to Lebanese officials.

Pham Giang (According to AFP, Reuters, Guardian)