US designates Hezbollah an Iranian proxy, sanctions funding network

The U.S. government has reclassified the militant group Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy, imposing new sanctions on the organization's cash-smuggling network. According to a Reuters report, the move is part of a broader campaign to pressure Iran and force the regime to negotiate an end to the conflict. The U.S. Treasury Department has designated Hezbollah as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" due to its alleged support for the Iranian regime, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.

This designation follows the group's original classification in 2001 under a different rationale. In addition to the new designation, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals accused of facilitating the illicit flow of money to Hezbollah. Officials emphasize that these measures are separate from additional actions the United States plans to take against Iran, as part of an ongoing economic pressure campaign.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that he will provide more details on the "toughest sanctions in history" imposed on Iran during a news conference scheduled for the following Monday.