WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States sanctioned Lebanese national Haytham Ali Tabataba’i, four other individuals and a Beirut-based company for links to the designated militant group Hezbollah, the US Department of State said in a press release on Thursday.
"Tabataba’i…has commanded Hizballah’s special forces, has operated in Syria, and has been reported to be in Yemen," the release stated. "Tabataba’i’s actions in Syria and Yemen are part of a larger Hizballah effort to provide training, materiel, and personnel in support of its destabilizing regional activities."
The sanctions block any of the individuals’ property that is subject to US jurisdiction and prohibit US persons from engaging in transactions with them.
Hezbollah, established in the 1980s, is a paramilitary and political organization originating in Lebanon's Shiite population. The group initially aimed to end Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon.
