Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon
Hezbollah in Southern LebanoniStock

The United States said on Wednesday it was imposing sanctions on Hezbollah financiers in coordination with Qatar, AFP reports.

The Treasury Department announced that it was taking action against seven people, including Qatari nationals Ali al-Banai and Ali Lari, who it said have secretly sent tens of millions of dollars to the Lebanese-based terrorist organization.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Hezbollah uses "global networks of financiers and front companies to support its malign activity" and praised the cooperation of Qatar.

"This represents one of the most significant joint actions we have taken with a Gulf Cooperation Council partner to date and underscores our extensive bilateral cooperation on countering terrorism finance," Blinken said in a statement quoted by AFP.

Bahrain also took action by freezing the bank accounts of al-Banai's nephew on the island and will prosecute three people, the Treasury Department said.

In recent months, the United States has placed sanctions on several Lebanese officials linked to Hezbollah.

This has included sanctions against two former Lebanese Cabinet ministers allied with the terrorist organization: Ex-finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil and the former public works and transportation minister, Youssef Fenianos.

In addition, Washington sanctioned Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon’s biggest Christian political bloc and son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, accusing him of corruption and ties to Hezbollah.