The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions on one individual and four entities, and identified nine vessels as blocked property, over facilitation of trade to Syria and East Asia in support of Hezbollah and the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In a statement, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that among the vessels that were blocked are four ships associated with the fleet of US-designated Syrian national Abdul Jalil Mallah and his brother Luay al-Mallah, who is being sanctioned. “Abdul Jalil Mallah and Luay al-Mallah have continued to use these vessels in support of Iran and Hezbollah’s destabilizing activities,” said Miller. “Today’s action reaffirms our commitment to disrupting sanctions evasion networks that benefit Iran-aligned actors in the Middle East. We will continue to expose the efforts of these actors to exploit the international financial system to finance Iran’s partners and proxies,” he added. The United States regularly sanctions Lebanese officials and entities linked to Hezbollah. Earlier this month, the Biden administration sanctioned a Lebanese network accused of smuggling oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to help fund Hezbollah. Before that, US prosecutors said that Lebanese-Belgian dual citizen Mohammad Bazzi, accused by the US of financing Hezbollah, is expected to plead guilty in a case involving sanctions evasion and money laundering conspiracies. Related articles: US sanctions entities connected to Iran's nuclear program 'Iran faces harsher sanctions without nuclear deal progress' US targets Russia network aiding Houthis with arms, grain Combat Antisemitism Movement calls for US sanctions on Albanese Bazzi last year pleaded not guilty to three felony charges, including attempting to conduct transactions with a sanctioned terrorist group. In 2018, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Bazzi over his alleged ties to Hezbollah, which Washington considers a terrorist organization.
