The U.S. Department of State announced sanctions against nine individuals, accusing them of “facilitating Hezbollah’s operations and undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty,” and claiming their support for the group serves “the Iranian agenda” while obstructing the country’s path toward peace and recovery.

State Department spokesperson Thomas Begout said Hezbollah’s continued possession of weapons “prevents the Lebanese government from achieving the stability and prosperity that the Lebanese people deserve.”

The sanctions targeted four MPs and political figures linked to Hezbollah — Mohammad Fneish, Hassan Fadlallah, Ibrahim Mousawi, and Hussein Hajj Hassan — as well as Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Shibani, and security officials affiliated with the Amal Movement.

In an unprecedented move, the sanctions also targeted two Lebanese officers: Brigadier Khattar Nasser al-Din, head of the National Security Division at the Lebanese General Security Directorate, and Colonel Samer Hamadeh, head of the Dahieh branch of the Lebanese Army Intelligence Directorate, accusing them of sharing intelligence with Hezbollah.

The sanctions also targeted Ahmad Asaad Baalbaki and Ali Ahmad Safawi, both affiliated with the Amal Movement, whom Washington accused of coordinating with Hezbollah on security and military matters.

The State Department confirmed that the “Rewards for Justice” program is offering up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of Hezbollah’s financial networks, warning that “this is just the beginning” and that anyone “protecting or cooperating with the organization will be held accountable.”

Washington stressed that “a stable, secure, and independent Lebanon requires the complete disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese state’s exclusive authority over security matters across the country.”