The United States is seeking to exploit what it sees as a rare opportunity in Lebanon to choke off Iranian funding to Hezbollah and press the group to disarm, a senior Treasury official said, as Washington steps up efforts to contain Tehran’s regional influence.
John Hurley, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Iran has managed to channel about $1 billion to Hezbollah this year despite Western sanctions that have crippled its economy.
“There’s a moment in Lebanon now. If we could get Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese people could get their country back,” he told Reuters in an interview published on Sunday.
Hurley said the key to curbing Hezbollah’s power was to “drive out the Iranian influence and control that starts with all the money they are pumping into Hezbollah.”
He spoke in Istanbul as part of a regional tour to Turkey, Lebanon, the UAE and Israel aimed at tightening financial and diplomatic pressure on Tehran.
Pressure campaign on Iran
The remarks come as the US intensifies its so-called maximum pressure campaign on Iran, whose economy is reeling under renewed UN snapback sanctions imposed after talks to limit its nuclear and missile activities collapsed in September.
Western governments accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability, a charge Iran denies, insisting its program is for civilian energy.
Washington last week sanctioned two individuals accused of funneling Iranian funds to Hezbollah through money exchanges, in a bid to sever the group’s financial channels. The Treasury said the network had helped move tens of millions of dollars to rebuild Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in Lebanon.
Founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, Hezbollah has grown into Lebanon’s most powerful military and political force. It has fought multiple wars with Israel and is a key member of Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance” alliance.
The group remains designated as a terrorist organization by the US and several Western states.
An investigation by Le Figaro in October found that Iran’s Quds Force had helped Hezbollah reorganize after the 2024 war with Israel and the assassinations of its longtime leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine.
Lebanon’s fragile government has pledged to disarm all non-state groups, including Hezbollah, under a US-backed truce with Israel. But the group continues to wield significant political influence and has resisted full demobilization, arguing that its weapons are essential to defend the country.
US officials say Iran’s financial and military backing remains central to Hezbollah’s survival. “Even with everything Iran has been through, even with the economy not in great shape, they’re still pumping a lot of money to their terrorist proxies,” Hurley said.
