The United States is seeking to capitalize on a strategic “moment” in Lebanon to cut Iranian funding to Hezbollah and press the terror group to disarm, according to US Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley.
In an interview with Reuters which was conducted late Friday, Hurley revealed that Iran has funneled approximately $1 billion to Hezbollah this year, despite extensive Western sanctions that have severely impacted Tehran’s economy.
The US continues to implement a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at curbing Iran’s uranium enrichment and regional influence, particularly in Lebanon, where Hezbollah’s military capabilities were shattered during the 2023-2024 war with Israel.
“There’s a moment in Lebanon now. If we could get Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese people could get their country back,” Hurley told Reuters.
“The key to that is to drive out the Iranian influence and control that starts with all the money that they are pumping into Hezbollah,” he added, speaking from Istanbul during a regional tour that includes Turkey, Lebanon, the UAE, and Israel.
Hurley, on his first Middle East tour since taking office under President Donald Trump, has met with officials, bankers, and business leaders to press the case against Iran.
“Even with everything Iran has been through, even with the economy not in great shape, they’re still pumping a lot of money to their terrorist proxies,” Hurley said.
Last week, Washington imposed sanctions on two individuals accused of using money exchanges to fund Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by the US, several Western governments, and Gulf states.
Israel continues to monitor Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its arsenal, which it has done despite a ceasefire agreement reached a year ago.
The IDF on Saturday struck and eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in the area of Baraashit in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit explained that the terrorist was involved in attempts to rehabilitate Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area, and his actions constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
Earlier on Saturday, IDF soldiers from Division 210 struck in the area of Chebaa in southern Lebanon, eliminating two terrorists from the "Lebanese Resistance Brigades" terrorist organization, which operates under the direction of Hezbollah.
On Thursday, the IDF carried out a series of strikes on terrorist infrastructure and several weapon storage facilities belonging to Hezbollah's Radwan Force in southern Lebanon, explaining that Hezbollah continues its attempts to reestablish terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon intended to harm the State of Israel.
Last week, during a security briefing convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, senior defense officials issued grave warnings that Hezbollah is undergoing a rapid process of rearmament and infrastructure reconstruction in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah was to disarm under the terms of the ceasefire reached with Israel last November, but its leader, Naim Qassem, has repeatedly stressed that the group would not do so.
Lebanon’s cabinet recently tasked the army with formulating a plan for disarming Hezbollah by the end of 2025. Qassem swiftly rejected the move.