Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking action to support the disarmament of Hizballah by sanctioning individuals who facilitated funneling tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Hizballah in 2025, using exchange houses to take advantage of Lebanon’s cash-based financial sector. Hizballah uses these funds to support its paramilitary forces, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, and resist the Lebanese government’s efforts to assert sovereign control over all Lebanese territory. Hizballah’s exploitation of money exchange companies and the cash economy to launder illicit funds threatens the integrity of the Lebanese financial system by blending terror financing with legitimate commerce.
“Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous, and secure-but that can only happen if Hizballah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley. “We will work with our Lebanese partners to create a resilient economy that puts the interests of all Lebanese citizens front and center.”
Today’s action targets Hizballah financial operatives who oversee the movement of funds from Iran. This includes funds generated through covert business dealings by Hizballah’s finance team–including through the sale of Iranian oil and other goods–into Lebanon through both licensed and unlicensed money exchanges. Unlicensed money exchanges and exchange companies that fail to conduct adequate screening on their customers allow Hizballah to take advantage of Lebanon’s largely cash-based economy to launder illicit money.
Treasury’s action underscores the urgent need for Lebanon to continue addressing the risks posed by Hizballah’s financial activities and the proliferation of unscrupulous exchange houses, especially in the wake of the country’s 2019 financial crisis.
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists and their supporters. The Department of State designated Hizballah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 31, 2001, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on October 8, 1997.
HIZBALLAH’S ABUSE OF LEBANON’S CASH ECONOMY
Since January 2025, the U.S.-designated Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) has transferred over $1 billion to Hizballah, mostly through money exchange companies.
Ossama Jaber (Jaber) is a Hizballah member supporting these money exchange efforts. He works directly with Lebanese money changers and exchange companies, personally collecting money for Hizballah. Between September 2024 and February 2025, Jaber collected or converted tens of millions of dollars via several money changers and exchange companies, some of which were owned by, or associated with, Hizballah members.
TARGETING HIZBALLAH FINANCE TEAM MONEY TRANSFER OPERATIONS
Hizballah’s ability to conduct financial transfers was profoundly degraded by the December 2024 collapse of Syria’s Assad regime, which served as a key source of support and bridge to Iran for Hizballah for decades. Further hindering Hizballah’s financial operations, the financial responsibilities of Muhammad Qasir, whom OFAC designated on May 15, 2018 and who had served as the Hizballah finance team chief, were split among multiple individuals following his October 2024 death. These individuals include Ja’far Muhammad Qasir (Ja’far), Muhammad Qasir’s son, and U.S.-designated ‘Ali Qasir (‘Ali), Muhammad Qasir’s nephew. Ja’far is in charge of the Hizballah finance team’s management as well as the Hizballah’s revenue-generating economic portfolio. In mid-2025, ‘Ali and Ja’far worked to recover the Arman 114, a U.S.-blocked oil tanker formerly known as the Adrian Darya 1, that had been seized by Indonesian authorities in 2023. The vessel had been conveying Iranian-origin crude oil in the name of U.S.-designated, Hizballah-controlled oil broker Concepto-Screen S.A.L.
Ja’far and U.S.-designated Syrian businessman Yasar Husayn Ibrahim (Ibrahim), a close confidant of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, have a history of collaborating on the sale of Iranian oil, gas, and other energy products on behalf of Hizballah. In early 2025, Ibrahim offered to meet with Ja’far to coordinate a business deal that would be attended by himself or his deputy Samer Kasbar (Kasbar), director of U.S.-designated Hizballah front company Hokoul SAL Offshore Company. Kasbar regularly collaborates with Hizballah finance team members on business deals. For example, in mid-2025, ‘Ali, Kasbar, and Ibrahim worked together to export metals and chemicals from Iran.
Ossama Jaber, Ja’far Muhammad Qasir, and Samer Kasbar are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, Hizballah.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.