"In the future we will designate, because we have to, individuals in Leb who are aiding and assisting Hezbollah, regardless of their sect or religion," the new US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs David Schenker said in an interview with Leb's LBCI television.
When asked by the interviewer if this means sanctions will target allies of Hezbollah, Schenker said "absolutely", adding that the United States is constantly reviewing its sanctions lists.
The proposed targeting of allies of Hezbollah has been a sensitive subject for Leb in the past.
In 2017 a draft copy of proposed, tighter US sanctions on Hezbollah caused disquiet in Leb because the wording, seen by Rooters, implied the legislation could target the Shia Amal movement of parliament speaker Nabih
KnobbyBerri
Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah...
Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as
The Resistanceand purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
sock puppet...
for investigation.
Leb's Maronite Christian President Michel Aoun
...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...is also a political ally of Hezbollah.
Targeting both Amal and Hezbollah and their associates - the two parties representing Leb's Shia population - risked marginalising a large section of society, banking and political sources said at the time.
The legislation that was eventually enacted did not mention the phrase "Hezbollah, Amal, or other associated entities" as contained in the draft section on who would be the focus of the regulations.