RismadarVoice Reporters
September 11, 2026
The United States government has announced new sanctions against individuals and companies accused of supporting Hezbollah and other Iran-aligned groups operating in the Middle East.
The sanctions, announced by the US Treasury Department, target entities and individuals in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Lebanon as part of Washington’s efforts to restrict Iran’s financial networks and weaken its regional influence.
The latest measures are part of the Treasury’s “Operation Economic Outcast”, a campaign launched in August aimed at cutting off funding channels linked to Iran’s military activities, missile development, cyber operations and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Treasury Department said the sanctioned entities were involved in supporting Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shia paramilitary group under the command of the IRGC, as well as Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia political and military organisation.
The department also announced a settlement with a US citizen who agreed to pay $1.43m over alleged violations of sanctions imposed on Iran.
According to the Treasury, its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) would continue to reject most Iran-related licensing requests except in exceptional circumstances, as part of efforts to maintain economic pressure on Tehran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions were aimed at dismantling networks that support Iran’s activities and helping Tehran evade international restrictions.
“Whether they finance terror, launder money, or help Iran evade sanctions, we will find them, cut them off from the US financial system, and dismantle the networks keeping the regime afloat,” Bessent said.
The sanctions come amid the ongoing Iran conflict, which has entered its seventh month and has affected energy markets, regional security and global diplomatic relations.
A US official said the measures, alongside naval restrictions, had reduced Iran’s ability to export oil, with shipments reportedly falling significantly compared with earlier in the year.
The official added that food prices in Iran had increased sharply, while the Iranian rial had weakened against the US dollar since the start of the conflict.
However, Brett Erickson, managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, said the sanctions were unlikely to significantly affect Iran’s ability to access foreign currency.
The latest sanctions did not include Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, who have increased their influence around the Red Sea region and threatened one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
Washington said the sanctions would remain in place until Iran changes its policies, including what it described as attacks on US personnel and allies, obstruction of key waterways and pursuit of nuclear and conventional weapons capabilities.
