The United States on Thursday imposed sweeping sanctions on nine Lebanon-based individuals accused of supporting Hezbollah and helping the Iran-backed group maintain influence within Lebanese state institutions, in one of Washington’s most extensive recent moves targeting Hezbollah’s political, military and financial networks.

The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of State, target Hezbollah lawmakers, Lebanese security officials and individuals accused of facilitating the group’s operations and obstructing efforts to disarm it.

Washington said the measures are part of a broader campaign to restore Lebanese sovereignty and reinforce the authority of the Lebanese state.

“By supporting the terrorist group, these individuals further the Iranian regime’s malicious agenda in Lebanon and actively obstruct the path to peace and recovery for the Lebanese people,” the State Department said.

The department added that Hezbollah’s “continued commitment to terrorism and refusal to disarm prevent the Government of Lebanon from delivering the peace, stability, and prosperity that its people deserve.”

Hezbollah lawmakers sanctioned

Among those designated was Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb Fneish, head of Hezbollah’s executive council and a former Lebanese minister. According to the Treasury Department, Fneish played a central role in restructuring Hezbollah’s administrative and organizational apparatus following recent military and financial pressure on the group, helping preserve its armed infrastructure and operational capabilities.

Also sanctioned was Hassan Fadlallah, a senior Hezbollah lawmaker whom U.S. authorities accused of using his parliamentary role to shield the group politically and oppose efforts aimed at limiting its military influence inside Lebanon.

The Treasury also designated Ibrahim al-Moussawi, accusing him of acting as a political advocate for Hezbollah and defending the group’s military activities and strategic alignment with Iran.

Another Hezbollah parliamentarian, Hussein Hajj Hassan, was sanctioned for allegedly supporting Hezbollah’s political and logistical networks and helping the organization maintain influence within state institutions.

The Treasury Department said the lawmakers used their official positions to advance Hezbollah’s agenda and resist domestic and international pressure to disarm the organization.

Security and intelligence officials targeted

The sanctions package also targeted Lebanese military and intelligence officials accused by Washington of providing operational assistance and sensitive information to Hezbollah.

Among them was Brig. Gen. Khattar Nasser Eldin, head of the National Security Department within Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security. The Treasury accused him of coordinating with Hezbollah and facilitating activities benefiting the group through his security position.

Also designated was Col. Samir Hamadi, identified as the intelligence chief for Beirut’s southern suburbs within the Lebanese Armed Forces. U.S. authorities alleged that Hamadi leaked intelligence and operational information to Hezbollah during confrontations over the past year.

The Treasury statement said Hezbollah had deeply infiltrated Lebanese institutions and accused some officials of abusing their positions to benefit the organization.

Iranian diplomat and Hezbollah-linked facilitators

The sanctions also included Iranian diplomat Mojtaba Amani, whom Washington accused of violating Lebanese sovereignty by coordinating activities benefiting Hezbollah and helping Tehran maintain influence inside Lebanon through political and security channels.

In addition, the Treasury targeted several Hezbollah-linked facilitators and financial operatives accused of helping the group circumvent sanctions, move funds and preserve access to financial and logistical networks despite mounting international pressure.

The Treasury warned that foreign financial institutions conducting or facilitating significant transactions on behalf of sanctioned individuals could themselves face penalties, including restrictions on correspondent or payable-through accounts in the United States.

“This is only the beginning”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Hezbollah “remains a terrorist organization that must be fully disarmed,” adding that the United States would continue targeting individuals who infiltrate state institutions to support what he described as a “senseless campaign of violence” against the Lebanese people.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott issued a direct warning to Hezbollah’s supporters within Lebanon’s political, business and security sectors.

“If you’re in politics, business, or the security services — and you have been aiding Hezbollah and undermining the sovereignty of the Lebanese government — think twice; there will be real consequences,” Pigott said in remarks to Al Jazeera.

The State Department also highlighted that its Rewards for Justice Program continues to offer up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of Hezbollah’s financial mechanisms.

“This is only the beginning,” the department said. “Anyone still shielding or collaborating with this terrorist organization, or otherwise undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty, should understand that they will be held accountable.”

Washington reiterated that “a stable, secure, and independent Lebanon requires the full disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese government’s exclusive authority over security matters throughout the country.”

The United States said it remained committed to supporting the Lebanese people and legitimate state institutions in pursuing “a better, more peaceful, and more prosperous future.”

In response, Hezbollah condemned the sanctions as an American attempt to intimidate Lebanon and reinforce what it described as ongoing Israeli aggression against the country.