The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on individuals and companies it accused of helping move Iranian funds to Hezbollah through Lebanon, targeting what Washington described as a key financial channel supporting the Lebanese militant group.

The action, announced as part of the Trump administration's broader Operation Economic Outcast, targets networks that Treasury says have helped Iran transfer money, evade U.S. sanctions and finance Hezbollah. The department said the networks extend across Lebanon, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said Iranian oil revenues are moved through front companies and regional exchange houses before reaching Lebanon, where Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) personnel work with Hezbollah financial officials and Lebanese money changers.

"Operation Economic Outcast is targeting those who continue to stand with the failing Iranian regime," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. "Whether they finance terror, launder money, or help Iran evade sanctions, we will find them, cut them off from the U.S. financial system, and dismantle the networks keeping the regime afloat."

Hundreds of millions of dollars transferred to Lebanon

According to Treasury, Lebanese businessmen Hussein Ibrahim and Abdallah Hamieh were used as part of a channel through which money from the IRGC-QF was transferred to Hezbollah.

The department said the two men moved hundreds of millions of dollars from the IRGC-QF to Hezbollah between May and September 2025.

Once the money reached Lebanon, Treasury said, U.S.-designated Hezbollah member Ossama Jaber worked with Ghaith Hussein Wehbe, described by the department as a Hezbollah money courier, to collect cash from the exchange houses on behalf of Hezbollah financial officials.

Treasury said Hezbollah uses the money to purchase weapons, manufacture equipment and pay salaries to its members.

The department also identified Hamdi Zaher El Dine, a Hezbollah financier whom the United States had previously designated, as a central figure in a network of Lebanese gold and cash exchanges.

Treasury said El Dine directs several exchange businesses through relatives and associates in an effort to evade sanctions, despite not formally appearing in the legal ownership structures of some of the companies.

His sister, Mervat Jamil Zahreldine, was described by Treasury as working on his behalf at two Lebanese exchanges, including Yousef Ibrahim Mansour and Partner for Exchange and Gold Pro SARL.

Treasury further alleged that Gold Pro SARL is not licensed by Lebanon's central bank to import gold, while El Dine uses hawala networks to purchase gold in Dubai and couriers to bring it into Lebanon.

The department also linked the network to Amir Al-Makansi, whom it said operates a gold exchange company based in Syria with offices in Istanbul. According to Treasury, the business uses Lebanese exchange houses to convert currency for El Dine, including large-denomination banknotes that the department said are frequently associated with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

U.S. sanctions Lebanese individuals and companies

OFAC designated Ibrahim, Hamieh and Wehbe under Executive Order 13224, accusing them of providing financial, material or technological support to Hezbollah.

Mervat Zahreldine and Al-Makansi were designated for what Treasury described as support for El Dine, while YIM Exchange and Gold Pro SARL were designated on allegations that they were owned, controlled or directed by him.

The measures block property and interests in property belonging to the designated individuals and entities that are in the United States or under the possession or control of U.S. persons. Companies owned 50% or more, directly or indirectly, by blocked persons are also subject to the blocking rules.

The Treasury warned that U.S. persons are generally prohibited from conducting transactions involving blocked property unless authorized by OFAC or otherwise exempt.

The department also cautioned that foreign financial institutions could face sanctions exposure for conducting significant transactions involving designated individuals.

Lebanon at the center of a wider Iranian financial network

Treasury presented the Lebanon-related measures as part of a broader effort to disrupt Iran's financial support for its regional allies.

The department said Hezbollah and Kata’ib Hezbollah are central components of what it described as Iran's regional network and accused both groups of helping Tehran project influence and evade international sanctions.

The Treasury said the networks targeted Thursday demonstrate the "global reach" of Iran's illicit financial system, with operations spanning the Middle East and beyond.

Operation Economic Outcast was announced by Bessent on Aug. 24 and is designed to target what Treasury calls the remaining economic lifelines sustaining the Iranian government. The department said it has mapped networks used by Iran to smuggle oil, evade sanctions and generate funds for its regional activities.

The United States said it is working with the European Union, Britain, Gulf partners and other governments to target sources of Iranian illicit revenue and the mechanisms used to move the proceeds.

Treasury also warned that companies and financial institutions that continue to facilitate money laundering or sanctions evasion for Iran could be cut off from the U.S. financial system and face increased exposure to so-called secondary sanctions.

Broader pressure on Iran

Thursday's announcement went beyond Lebanon.

OFAC also sanctioned four members and commanders of Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq, accusing them of acting for or on behalf of the Iran-backed group. Treasury said Kata’ib Hezbollah receives training, weapons, funding, intelligence and logistical support from Iran's IRGC-QF.

The department also targeted Iraqi officials, businessmen and companies it accused of supporting Iranian military and financial networks.

At the same time, OFAC announced an enforcement action involving an individual who agreed to pay $1.427 million to settle potential civil liability for providing consulting services to an Iranian software company, receiving Iranian-origin dividends into U.S. bank accounts and acquiring property in Iran.

OFAC also changed its licensing policy for Iran-related activities, announcing a presumption of denial except in limited circumstances, including situations involving risks to life, personal safety or environmental protection. Treasury said the policy would remain in place until Iran changes what Washington described as its objectionable behavior.

For Lebanon, however, the most immediate impact of Thursday's measures is the targeting of exchange houses, money couriers and financial intermediaries that Washington says form part of the pipeline through which Iranian money reaches Hezbollah.

The sanctions underscore the growing U.S. focus on Lebanon's financial sector as a potential point of pressure in its campaign to disrupt Hezbollah's funding and Iran's regional financial networks.

Treasury said the objective of sanctions is ultimately not punishment but a change in behavior. It warned that U.S. and foreign individuals and companies involved in transactions with designated parties could face civil or criminal penalties, while foreign financial institutions could risk restrictions on their access to U.S. correspondent banking services.

The department also said its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is encouraging whistleblowers to report suspected violations involving Iranian proxies and facilitators operating outside Iran, including potential violations of U.S. sanctions and anti-money-laundering laws.

Treasury said it is prepared to pursue enforcement action against foreign companies and, when warranted, foreign financial institutions that facilitate illicit Iranian commerce.