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    <title>Aaj TV English News - World</title>
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    <language>en-Us</language>
    <copyright>Copyright 2026</copyright>
    <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 10:42:49 +0500</pubDate>
    <lastBuildDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 10:42:49 +0500</lastBuildDate>
    <ttl>60</ttl>
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      <title>US hits nine Hezbollah-aligned individuals in Lebanon with sanctions</title>
      <link>https://english.aaj.tv/news/330459358/us-hits-nine-hezbollah-aligned-individuals-in-lebanon-with-sanctions</link>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against nine individuals, including Iran’s designated ambassador to ​Lebanon, for obstructing the peace process in the Middle Eastern country and impeding the disarmament of the ‌Iran-backed Hezbollah group.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the officials were embedded across Lebanon’s parliament, military, and security sectors, where they worked to preserve Hezbollah’s influence over key Lebanese state institutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation and must be fully disarmed,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ​said in a statement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Hezbollah, founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has been designated a “terrorist group” by ​the US and Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The US holds the group responsible for ⁠suicide bombings in 1983 that killed 241 US service personnel and destroyed the US Marine headquarters in Beirut, along with ​a French barracks, killing 58 French paratroopers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It blames Hezbollah for a suicide attack on the US Embassy in Beirut ​in 1983.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;a id="us-targets-hezbollahs-finances" href="#us-targets-hezbollahs-finances" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;US targets Hezbollah’s finances&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Israel and Lebanon last week agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon that flared months ago after the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The State Department will ​pay up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the militant group, spokesperson Tommy ​Pigott said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“This is only the beginning. Anyone still shielding or collaborating with this terrorist organisation, or otherwise undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty, should understand ‌that they ⁠will be held accountable,” Pigott said in a statement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“A stable, secure, and independent Lebanon requires the full disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese government’s exclusive authority over security matters throughout the country.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Treasury said the people sanctioned on Thursday were:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb Fanich, who leads Hezbollah’s executive council.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Hassan Nizammeddine Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament ​since 2005, who worked with Al ​Nour Radio and Al ⁠Manar TV, both of which have been sanctioned by the US.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ibrahim al-Moussawi, who heads Hezbollah’s media committee and represents the group in parliament.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, who has represented ​Hezbollah as a member of the Lebanese parliament since 1996.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Mohammad Reza Sheibani, the Iranian ​ambassador designate to ⁠Lebanon, whom Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry declared persona non grata after it withdrew its approval of his candidature and ordered him to leave Beirut.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ahmad Asaad Baalbaki and Ali Ahmad Safawi, both security officials of the Amal Movement, a political ally and security ⁠partner of ​Hezbollah.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Safawi is the commander of the Lebanese Amal militia in ​southern Lebanon and led its forces in joint Hizballah-Amal military operations against Israel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Brigadier General Khattar Nasser Eldin, head of the Lebanese General Directorate for ​General Security, for sharing intelligence with Hezbollah.&lt;/p&gt;
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      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p><strong>The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against nine individuals, including Iran’s designated ambassador to ​Lebanon, for obstructing the peace process in the Middle Eastern country and impeding the disarmament of the ‌Iran-backed Hezbollah group.</strong></p>
<p>Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the officials were embedded across Lebanon’s parliament, military, and security sectors, where they worked to preserve Hezbollah’s influence over key Lebanese state institutions.</p>
<p>“Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation and must be fully disarmed,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ​said in a statement.</p>
<p>Hezbollah, founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has been designated a “terrorist group” by ​the US and Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>The US holds the group responsible for ⁠suicide bombings in 1983 that killed 241 US service personnel and destroyed the US Marine headquarters in Beirut, along with ​a French barracks, killing 58 French paratroopers.</p>
<p>It blames Hezbollah for a suicide attack on the US Embassy in Beirut ​in 1983.</p>
<h3><a id="us-targets-hezbollahs-finances" href="#us-targets-hezbollahs-finances" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a><strong>US targets Hezbollah’s finances</strong></h3>
<p>Israel and Lebanon last week agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon that flared months ago after the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.</p>
<p>The State Department will ​pay up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the militant group, spokesperson Tommy ​Pigott said.</p>
<p>“This is only the beginning. Anyone still shielding or collaborating with this terrorist organisation, or otherwise undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty, should understand ‌that they ⁠will be held accountable,” Pigott said in a statement.</p>
<p>“A stable, secure, and independent Lebanon requires the full disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese government’s exclusive authority over security matters throughout the country.”</p>
<p>Treasury said the people sanctioned on Thursday were:</p>
<p>Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb Fanich, who leads Hezbollah’s executive council.</p>
<p>Hassan Nizammeddine Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament ​since 2005, who worked with Al ​Nour Radio and Al ⁠Manar TV, both of which have been sanctioned by the US.</p>
<p>Ibrahim al-Moussawi, who heads Hezbollah’s media committee and represents the group in parliament.</p>
<p>Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, who has represented ​Hezbollah as a member of the Lebanese parliament since 1996.</p>
<p>Mohammad Reza Sheibani, the Iranian ​ambassador designate to ⁠Lebanon, whom Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry declared persona non grata after it withdrew its approval of his candidature and ordered him to leave Beirut.</p>
<p>Ahmad Asaad Baalbaki and Ali Ahmad Safawi, both security officials of the Amal Movement, a political ally and security ⁠partner of ​Hezbollah.</p>
<p>Safawi is the commander of the Lebanese Amal militia in ​southern Lebanon and led its forces in joint Hizballah-Amal military operations against Israel.</p>
<p>Brigadier General Khattar Nasser Eldin, head of the Lebanese General Directorate for ​General Security, for sharing intelligence with Hezbollah.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
      <category>World</category>
      <guid>https://english.aaj.tv/news/330459358</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 09:05:52 +0500</pubDate>
      <author>none@none.com (Reuters)</author>
      <media:content url="https://i.aaj.tv/large/2026/05/220857523355bb5.webp" type="image/webp" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
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        <media:title>Ibrahim al-Moussawi, a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament, gives an interview to Reuters at his office in the parliament building in Beirut</media:title>
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