Israel recently attacked banks in Lebanon it alleges are part of the financial network that supports Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah (a member of the Lebanese government). While Israel is great at the blowing-up aspect of fighting Hezbollah’s financial network, a bank is just a building, a mailing address — not “the network.”
The U.S. government has been working to disrupt Hezbollah's financial network since it designated the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997, part of a broader strategy to weaken the group’s operational capabilities and reduce its influence.
Among the tools used by the U.S. are:
Sanctions and financial alerts: The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities involved in financial operations with Hezbollah ties. These sanctions are designed to restrict Hezbollah's access to the global financial system. In addition, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued alerts to financial institutions to help them identify and report suspicious activities related to Hezbollah. International cooperation and targeting financial networks: The U.S. has coordinated with other countries, such as Qatar, to impose sanctions on Hezbollah financiers. Also, the U.S. has targeted Hezbollah's financial networks, including those involved in oil smuggling, money laundering, and illegal weapons procurement.Hezbollah’s network works in various business lines — not just in the........