U.S. Targets Iran's Proxy Financial Networks

The United States has launched coordinated action under Operation Economic Outcast against Kata'ib Hizballah, Hizballah, and the financial networks sustaining Iran's regional activities. The measures target IRGC-Qods Force influence over Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces and commercial networks spanning Iraq, the UAE, Türkiye, and Lebanon.

The United States has moved against Kata'ib Hizballah (KH), Hizballah, and associated financial networks as part of Operation Economic Outcast, a campaign the State Department describes as aimed at completely isolating Iran's government from the financial lifelines that sustain what it calls malign behavior. The actions were announced by State Department Spokesman Thomas "Tommy" Pigott.

According to the State Department, the measures expose the extent to which Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Qods Force (IRGC-QF) has co-opted Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces and exploited commercial networks in Iraq, the UAE, Türkiye, and Lebanon to fund terrorism and evade international sanctions.

KH, designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department in 2009, has in the State Department's assessment intensified its threat to U.S. interests. The announcement cites a recent plot attributed to the group to attack Jewish institutions in the United States, as well as continued attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces in Iraq that, according to Washington, endanger civilians and undermine Iraqi sovereignty.

The State Department characterizes both KH and Hizballah as instruments through which Tehran projects violence and subversion across the Middle East and beyond, threatening security in Iraq and Lebanon, the safety of American personnel and diplomatic facilities, and global energy flows. Washington states that these networks also undermine the economic interests of the populations Iran claims to represent.

The actions are being taken under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists and their supporters, and Executive Order 13902, which targets certain sectors of the Iranian economy. Implementation details are outlined in a separate Department of the Treasury press release.

The State Department reaffirmed U.S. commitment to supporting a sovereign and stable Iraq free from external interference, and to protecting Lebanon's institutions from what it describes as Hizballah's corrosive financial and political influence. Washington said it would continue working with regional and international partners to isolate Iran's proxy networks and disrupt their funding.

This article is based on a verified primary source. The text was editorially reviewed and fact-checked prior to publication.

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