Michael Brill (@michaelpbrill.bsky.social)

Treasury Sanctions Global Network Diverting Funds to Benefit Hizballah Network Amassed Over $100 Million from Hizballah Financial Schemes WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a network of 16 individuals and entities led by Hizballah financier and former public investment official Alaa Hassan Hamieh (Alaa Hamieh). Alaa Hamieh oversees a network of companies, controlled through family members and close associates, that launder and raise funds for Hizballah’s finance team. These individuals and companies—located in Lebanon, Syria, Poland, Slovenia, Qatar, and Canada—have been involved in numerous economic projects and are estimated to have enabled the diversion of over $100 million since 2020. This network represents a critical source of funding for Hizballah, which continues to embrace violence despite calls to disarm. “Iran is the head of the snake when it comes to global terrorism, and its proxies, such as Hizballah, carry out Tehran’s mission to sow chaos and destruction beyond its borders,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Hizballah continues to divert funds that rightfully belong to the Lebanese people to finance its terrorist operations. This action targets key actors within its global financial network that sustain its militant activities.” Today’s action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority, Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. The U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 31, 2001, and previously as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on October 8, 1997. ALAA HAMIEH and the hizballah finance teamHizballah funds both its militant wing and social programs through a wide array of revenue generation and sanctions evasion schemes, many of which are coordinated through the group’s finance team. Hizballah has used its influence in Lebanon’s government to divert funds for the group’s own benefit. Since the United States designated Hizballah finance team member Muhammad Al-Bazzal in 2018, the ownership of several companies and subsidiaries previously owned by him have been transferred to close family members and associates in name only, while he has maintained operational control. Most of these family members and associates are active participants within Hizballah’s finance team and hold positions in more than one company.Employing similar methods to obfuscate his true ownership, Alaa Hamieh owns, directly or indirectly, multiple Hizballah-associated companies, several of which are used for procurement or money laundering. These companies include: Lebanon-based Seven Seas SAL Offshore, Seven Seas Group S.A.R.L., and Calllync S.A.L. Offshore; Poland-based Calllync Spolka Z Organiczona Odpowiedzialnoscia (Calllync S.p. Z.O.O.); and Slovenia-based Calllync Telekomunikacijske Storitve D.O.O. (Calllync D.O.O.). Through his brother, Muhammad Hasan Hamieh (Muhammad Hamieh), Alaa Hamieh tracks the funds associated with these projects, many of which are operated in collaboration with Hizballah finance team members Muhammad Al-Bazzal, his U.S.-designated brother Rashid Al-Bazzal, and U.S.-designated Hizballah finance team official Ali Qasir.ALAA HAMIEH’s abuse of the lebanese economyIn early 2025, Hizballah, through Alaa Hamieh’s now-former position as the Vice President of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), was involved with the disbursement of funds from a trade agreement between Iraq and Lebanon to support the reconstruction of Lebanon. According to the agreement, IDAL would have the authority to be the sole executor on the Lebanese side to choose who would qualify for the deal. Alaa Hamieh personally received millions of U.S. dollars for Hizballah-associated projects under this agreement, while working closely with Hizballah financier Muhammad Al-Bazzal. As of December 2025, Alaa Hamieh is no longer affiliated with IDAL following IDAL’s appointment of a new board of directors. Alaa Hamieh and Lebanese national Hamdan Ali Al Lakis (Al Lakis) set up a money exchange where Alaa Hamieh collects the majority of the profits, while Al Lakis manages the company’s day-to-day operations. This setup allows Alaa Hamieh to have total access to the money exchange business and avoid the apparent conflict of interest with his former government job with IDAL. Through Al Lakis, Alaa Hamieh and his brother Muhammad Hamieh have full control of the money exchange to support their business needs, while hiding from government oversight. Alaa Hamieh is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, Hizballah. Muhammad Hamieh and Al Lakis are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, Alaa Hassan Hamieh.ALAA HAMIEH’s proxy business networkSyrian gray-arms dealer Bahaa Addin Hashem (Hashem) co-owns several companies with Alaa Hamieh. Hashem collaborates with Muhammad Al-Bazzal and the Hizballah finance team, including his role as an employee of previously designated Hizballah finance team enterprise G.M. Farm. Additionally, Hashem is the registered owner of Slovenia-based Calllync D.O.O. Hizballah member Mohamad Jamil Salami (Salami) is another member of Alaa Hamieh’s network who sent at least $50,000 to Alaa Hamieh, was involved in a weapons systems company, and other telecommunications projects. In early 2024, Salami was involved in a sanctions evasion scheme to deliver equipment to an Iranian telecommunications company operating in Syria under the Al-Assad regime. Qatar-based Raoof Fadel (Fadel) is involved in numerous projects with Alaa Hamieh and the Hizballah finance team, including with Hizballah finance team members Muhammad Al-Bazzal and Rashid Al-Bazzal. Fadel is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Hizballah-associated Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics, which is the Canadian branch of Alaa Hamieh’s similarly named Lebanese companies. Hashem, Salami, and Fadel are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, Hizballah. Calllync D.O.O. is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Hashem. Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Fadel.Mohamad Hasan Wehbe owns and operates Lebanon-based Seven Seas SAL Offshore and Seven Seas Group S.A.R.L, which are used by Alaa Hamieh for procurement and money laundering in collaboration with other companies controlled by Alaa Hamieh, such as Calllync S.A.L. Offshore. Alaa Hamieh’s nephew, Daniel Hamieh, co-owns Poland-based Calllync S.p. Z.O.O. with Alaa Hamieh, which has sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to a company affiliated with the Hizballah finance team. Lebanon-based Hala Muhammad Tarshishi (Tarshishi), Alaa Hamieh’s secretary, is a proxy for one of his companies and conducts financial transactions related to his business. Maya Boustany (Boustany) is another Alaa Hamieh associate, who in addition to her role as Chief Operating Officer of one of Alaa Hamieh’s companies, acted as a proxy for the Hizballah finance team to set up a front company in Iraq.Mohamad Hasan Wehbe, Daniel Hamieh, and Boustany are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, Alaa Hassan Hamieh. Tarshishi and Calllync S.A.L. Offshore are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Alaa Hamieh. Calllync S.p. Z.O.O. is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Daniel Hamieh. Seven Seas SAL Offshore and Seven Seas Group S.A.R.L are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mohamad Hasan Wehbe. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONSAs a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. Individuals located in the U.S. or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to FinCEN’s whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000.Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.Click here for more information on the persons designated today.### https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0420