U.S. House Votes to Impose Sanctions on Hezbollah

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on October 25^th to impose additional sanctions on Iranian-backed Hezbollah in an effort to take a harder stance against Iran’s support for international terrorism.

There were 3 Hezbollah-related measures that passed without opposition in the House. The first imposes new sanctions on any entities found to support the group, such as by providing weapons to Hezbollah. The second imposes sanctions on Iran and Hezbollah for using civilians as human shields. The third is a resolution which urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, which the U.S. did in 1997.

Hezbollah has denounced the latest sanctions on the group, saying the new measures are an intervention in Lebanese internal affairs, a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and an unacceptable targeting of the Lebanese people.

The House voted on October 26^th on another bill, to impose additional sanctions on Iran related to its ballistic missiles program. The bill calls on the president to report to Congress on the supply chain for Iran’s ballistic missile program and to impose sanctions on the Iranian government or foreign entities that support it. The failure of the Iran nuclear deal to include prohibitions on Iran’s development of ballistic missiles has been repeatedly cited by Iran deal critics.

On October 13^th, President Trump said that he would not certify that Iran was complying with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. In accordance with the Corker-Cardin legislation, following the president’s decision to not certify the deal, Congress has the option to restore sanctions withdrawn under the 2015 agreement, or introduce new ones within 60 days of the decertification.

Iran has said that it won’t tolerate any changes to the current nuclear agreement and has threatened to withdraw partially or completely from the agreement if new measures are imposed.

Iran has been Hezbollah’s main backer, supplying the group with weapons and money for more than three decades.

Hezbollah has received Iranian-supplied weaponry, monetary aid, and combat training and Hezbollah has in turn sent fighters to Syria and Iraq to support Iran and its allies. In Syria, the group has played a major role in keeping President Assad and the Syrian Army in power. In Iraq, the group has battled the Islamic State and helps promote Iranian interests in the region.

The U.S. is increasing pressure on Hezbollah and earlier this month, imposed sanctions on two Hezbollah officials, Talal Hamiyah and Fuad Shukr, and offered a reward for information leading to their capture. Hamiyah is the head of Hezbollah’s foreign operations, while Shukr is a member of Hezbollah who runs the group’s military forces in southern Lebanon.

These sanctions on Iran and Hezbollah are an attempt by the U.S. to clamp down on Iran without immediately moving to undermine the Iran nuclear deal which is an international nuclear agreement.