The United States on Friday placed sanctions on six people and seven businesses affiliated with the Iran-backed militant Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah , in an attempt to quash Iran’s influence in the Middle East and globally. Why the US is imposing sanctionsSenior Trump administration officials said, “the first wave” of sanctions were part of an aggressive move against Hezbollah to try and limit Iran’s influence. The Trump administration said companies and their executives act on Tabaja’s behalf, forming funding channels for the Lebanon-based militant group. Similar targeted sanctions are expected in the coming months with White House officials saying there were dozens of financial networks linked to Hezbollah that could be targeted. The US considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization and has imposed sanctions on the group in the past.

Source: Egypt Independent February 02, 2018 18:11 UTC