New U.S. sanctions on Iran, Hezbollah

Ali Rajab

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is tightening the noose around Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, days ahead of the presidential elections in America, slated for November 3.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has recently imposed sanctions on Iraj Masjedi, a former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corpse and now the Iranian ambassador in Iraq, after accusing him of destabilizing the Arab country.

The sanctions apparently aimed to send a message to the Iranians that Iraq would not be an easy target to control.

According to the department, Masjedi was a close associate of the former commander of Quds Force Qasem Soleimani who was assassinated by the U.S. in January this year.

It said in a statement that Masjedi oversaw the training of Iraqi militias and commanded attacks that left American troops dead and injured.

It added that Masjedi used his powers as the Iranian ambassador in Iraq in hiding financing for Quds force members in Iraq.

The statement quoted U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Terner Mnuchin as saying that the Iranian regime threatens Iraq’s security and sovereignty by appointing in it former officials of Quds Force and the Revolutionary Guard Corpse.

Sanctions

The U.S Department of the Treasury also imposed sanctions on two members of the Central Council of the Lebanese Hezbollah Movement, namely Nabil Qaouk and Hassan al-Baghdadi.

Mnuchin said senior Hezbollah commanders are responsible for implementing the agenda of their terrorist organization which works to destabilize Iraq and harm U.S. interests around the world.

He added that the U.S. has to hold Hezbollah accountable, especially with the 37th anniversary of its shelling of the barracks of the U.S. navy in Beirut approaching.