U.S. Sanctions Two Former Lebanese Ministers Over Hezbollah Ties
- Ali Hasan Khalil was a former finance, health minister
- U.S. vows to maintain pressure on Hezbollah, corrupt actors
This article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. sanctioned two former Lebanese government ministers for providing material support to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, and engaging in corruption, the first such move against high-level individuals in the country.
Yusuf Finyanus and Ali Hassan Khalil directed political and economic favors to Hezbollah, including ensuring companies it owned won government contracts worth millions of dollars and moving money from government ministries to Hezbollah-associated institutions, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.