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Beirut: “The Gulf”, agencies
On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on two senior officials of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, who are members of the party’s Central Council, Nabil Kaouk and Hassan Baghdadi, while Estonia imposed sanctions on the aforementioned party for what it considered its “terrorist activities. “and described it as a” great threat “. For international security and the security of Estonia.
In its statement, the US Treasury Department said that the imposition of these sanctions coincides “with the proximity of the thirty-seventh anniversary of the Hezbollah attack” on the US Marines in Beirut on October 23, 1983. The United States classifies Hezbollah , backed by Iran, as a terrorist group. Sanctions were imposed on many of its members, including the Secretary-General and his deputy. The Treasury said Qaouq and Al-Baghdadi are members of the Hezbollah Council responsible for electing the Shura Council, the group’s highest decision-making body, “which formulates policy and controls all aspects of activities, including military ones.”
He added that Kaouk made speeches threatening to fight Israel, denouncing the American presence in the Middle East and praising the method of Hezbollah attacks. Al-Baghdadi defended the attacks on Americans and praised the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its fighters in Syria and Iraq for attacking US military bases, he added. Such a move freezes any assets in the United States of those on the blacklist and prevents Americans in general from doing business with them. The ministry said that those who engage in certain transactions with those on the blacklist are also subject to penalties.
For his part, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on social media that “Hezbollah” remains a threat to the United States and its allies. He noted that the inclusion of two Hezbollah officials further exposes the terror group’s activities and disrupts its operational networks, and that all countries must work to restrict Hezbollah activities and protect themselves.
On the other hand, a statement published on the Twitter account of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Based on a proposal from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the government decided to impose sanctions on the Lebanese“ Hezbollah ”for its terrorist activities. The statement added that “Estonia’s decision imposes an entry ban on Lebanese Hezbollah members, who belong to its military and political wings, and imposes sanctions on certain leaders of the organization, who will be appointed during the next period.” . He continued, “Hezbollah poses a great threat to international security and therefore to the security of Estonia,” while Foreign Minister Urmas Rensalo said: “This step supports other steps by the United States, Great Britain. , Germany and other countries “.
