As Washington sanctions Hezbollah money networks, President Aoun assures compliance while urging pressure on Israel to halt deadly strikes in south Lebanon.
BEIRUT – Lebanese President Michel Aoun pledged his government’s commitment to combating terror financing during a meeting with a high-level US delegation on Sunday, against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions and fresh American sanctions on Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The assurance came just days after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on three Hezbollah members accused of laundering tens of millions of dollars from Iran. A US statement alleged that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have transferred over $1 billion to the group since January 2025, primarily through cash-based money exchange operations.
“Lebanon strictly applies the measures adopted to prevent money laundering, smuggling, or its use in financing terrorism, and severely punishes financial crimes of all kinds,” President Aoun told the US delegation, which was led by senior counterterrorism official Sebastian Gorka.
The visit underscores Washington’s intensified campaign to sever the financial pipeline between Tehran and Hezbollah, a group it designates as a terrorist organization. In response, US officials have framed the issue as pivotal to Lebanon’s future.
“Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous and secure — but that can only happen if Hezbollah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control,” stated John Hurley, a deputy counter-terrorism director.
The high-level talks were set against a surge in violence on Lebanon’s southern border. As diplomatic discussions were underway, Israeli strikes killed two more people, bringing the death toll from recent attacks to five. President Aoun used the meeting to call for international “pressure on Israel to stop its ongoing attacks,” highlighting the fragile and complex security situation facing the country.
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