Iran condemns US sanctions on designated ambassador to Lebanon

Iran on Friday condemned new US sanctions targeting its designated ambassador to Lebanon, as well as several Lebanese political, military, and security officials.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry denounced the US Treasury Department’s sanctions on Mohammad Reza Sheibani as “illegal and unjustified.”

The ministry described the move as “another example of the lawlessness and disregard of the US ruling establishment for fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, especially the principle of respect for the national sovereignty of states.”

Iran also condemned US sanctions imposed on several lawmakers from Hezbollah in the Lebanese parliament, officials from the Amal Movement, and several Lebanese military and security officials.

On Thursday, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nine individuals it said enabled Hezbollah to “undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty” and designated them “for obstructing the peace process in Lebanon and impeding the disarmament” of the group.

Those sanctioned included Hezbollah lawmakers Ibrahim al-Moussawi, Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, Hassan Fadlallah and former minister Mohammed Fneish, along with Lebanese military and security officials accused by Washington of sharing “important intelligence” with Hezbollah.

The move comes amid continued Israeli attacks across Lebanon​​​​​​​ despite a US-mediated ceasefire that formally came into effect on April 17 and was later extended until the beginning of July.

Since March 2, Israel has carried out a large-scale offensive on Lebanon that has killed 3,073 people, wounded 9,362 others and displaced more than 1.6 million, about one-fifth of the country’s population, according to Lebanese officials.