Washington: Today, as part of Operation Economic Outcast, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against the networks enabling the Iranian regime to wreak havoc in the Middle East through its terrorist proxies. Today's action targets entities and individuals that support Kataib Hizballah (KH) and Hizballah. According to U.S. Department of the Treasury, OFAC announced today an enforcement action against an individual for providing services to companies in Iran and updated its Iran Statement of Licensing Policy to a presumption of denial except in limited circumstances. Operation Economic Outcast is targeting those who continue to stand with the failing Iranian regime, said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Whether they finance terror, launder money, or help Iran evade sanctions, we will find them, cut them off from the U.S. financial system, and dismantle the networks keeping the regime afloat. KH and Lebanese Hizballah fuel Iran's destabilizing influ ence in the Middle East, endanger U.S. and partner forces, and facilitate extensive sanctions evasion schemes. Spread across Iraq, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, today's targets underscore the global reach of the Iranian regime's illicit networks and the serious threat posed by the terrorist proxy organizations that operate on its behalf. Today's designations strike at the core of Iran's most dangerous proxies-groups that not only terrorize civilians across the Middle East but also serve as Tehran's primary instruments for projecting violence, subversion, and global destabilization. Today's action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists and their supporters. The U.S. Department of State designated KH as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) and Hizballah was designated as a SDGT and a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Today's action is also being taken pursuant to E.O. 13902, which targets persons operating in the petroleum, f inancial, petrochemical, and other sectors of the Iranian economy. Announced by Secretary Bessent on August 24, 2026, dubbed Economic D-Day, Operation Economic Outcast is severing the remaining economic lifelines that sustain the Iranian regime. Treasury has mapped the networks, facilitators, and financial channels that Iran uses to smuggle oil, evade sanctions, and fund terror. Working with partners across the U.S. government, the European Union, United Kingdom, Gulf partners, and others, Treasury is targeting any source of the regime's illicit revenue, as well as its sanctions evasion schemes to move funds. Operation Economic Outcast significantly expanded sanctions risk for those who continue to choose to do business with Iran. Treasury warned that any entity facilitating money laundering or sanctions evasion on behalf of Iran risks being cut off from the U.S. financial system. It also expanded secondary sanctions exposure for those who continue doing business with the Iranian regime and will accelerate the pace of U.S. enforcement. More information on Operation Economic Outcast is available here. KH is a leading militant faction within Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance and receives training, weapons, funding, intelligence, and logistical support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), itself designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. KH is also the most influential faction within Iraq's militia-dominated Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). KH members occupy key leadership positions within the PMF's governing body, the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC), including positions that oversee the PMF's intelligence, missiles, anti-armor, and special forces directorates. Through this influence, KH is a major beneficiary of the more than $2.6 billion in annual Iraqi government funding allocated to the PMF, and they instead siphon the Iraqi people's wealth to support the Iranian regime, increase their luxurious lifestyles, and support their own terrorist efforts. KH seeks to threaten the American people at home and abroad, as most recently evidenced by the May 16, 2026, arrest of a senior KH commander for attempting to arrange the bombing of a New York synagogue and additional Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale. Since February 2026, KH and other Iranian-aligned militia groups in Iraq have conducted hundreds of attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces in Iraq and across the region. These attacks include the use of explosive drones and indiscriminate rocket fire that puts the lives and livelihoods of innocent Iraqi civilians at risk and directly threatens the U.S. Embassy and U.S. diplomatic facilities. These attacks are carried out in furtherance of Iran's desire to dominate Iraq, and they serve neither the security nor the economic interests of the Iraqi people. Today, OFAC is taking action against four KH commanders and members: Ali Hasan Farhan Al-Lami, Hussein Ahmed Hussein Al-Dhuhaibawi, Mohamed Ameen Fadhil Ali Al-Shaikhli, and Karrar Mohammed Qasim Al-Hraishawi, who are each active KH members. These individuals are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Kataib Hizballah. The PMF and the PMC are heavily dominated and influenced by Iran's militias, such as KH, that operate at the direction of the IRGC-QF and support the IRGC-QF's interests and activities in Iraq. Abbas Jawad Kadhim Al-Tameemi is a senior official with the PMC's Directorate of Technical Equipment, which is headed by U.S.-designated terrorist and former KH official Salah Mahdi Hantush al-Maksusi. OFAC designated al-Maksusi in 2012 for his involvement in KH's attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. Al-Tameemi provides strategic guidance and technical advice for the PMC regarding foreign military purchases and is considered a defense equipment expert within the PMC and Iran-aligned militia groups. Through his position and support services to PMC, Al-Tameemi enables the provision of critical financial and military support to the IRGC-QF. Abdullah Nadhim Luaibi Al Ameri is a UAE-based Iraqi arms dealer and founder and CEO of Iraq-based Al-Brouj For General Contracting Company Ltd. Al Ameri, via his control of Al-Brouj, provides various goods and services to the PMC, including likely unlawful procurement of equipment with military applications. Through Al-Brouj, Al Ameri provides support to Iraqi military organizations that operate under the direction of the IRGC-QF. Khaldoon Naser Maryoosh Al-Abada is a representative of Iraqi PMC-affiliated procurement company Ain Al-Iraq For Protecting Technology and Audio, Visual, and Communications Solutions Company Ltd who coordinates the acquisition of foreign defense equipment and components with the PMC and provides consulting services and advice to the PMC. Al-Tameemi, Al-Ameri, and Ain Al-Iraq 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 or services to or in support of, Saleh Mahdi Hantush al-Maksusi. Al-Brouj is being designated for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Al Ameri. Al Abada is being designated for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Ain Al-Iraq. Majid Ali Akbar Namdar Al-Mandalawi uses a variety of Iraqi private banks to transfer funding through his hawala, Shams and Bahr Trading Company L.L.C. This Dubai-based exchange has been used to remit millions of dollars from Iraq to Iran via the UAE. Shams and Bahr Trading Company, L.L.C. is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the financial sector of the Iranian economy. Hussein Ibrahim, Abdallah Hamieh, and Wehbe are being designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hizballah. The IRGC-QF uses front companies to t ransfer funds derived from Iranian oil sales to exchange houses in the region. U.S.-designated Hizballah financier Hamdi Zaher El Dine directs and operates several Lebanese gold and cash exchanges through family members and close associates to evade sanctions. Mervat Jamil Zahreldine works at two of these exchanges on Hamdi's behalf, holding a position at Yousef Ibrahim Mansour and Partner for Exchange, and Power of Attorney at Gold Pro SARL. YIM Exchange and Gold Pro SARL are being designated for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Hamdi. Dealings with sanctioned parties, as well as jurisdictions such as Iran, are generally prohibited, and Iran-related enforcement actions continue to be a top priority for OFAC. Today, OFAC announced that an individual has agreed to pay $1,427,230 to settle their potential civil liability for providing management consulting and advisory services to one of Iran's leading software solutions c ompanies. The settlement amount reflects OFAC's determination that the apparent violations were egregious and not voluntarily self-disclosed. OFAC's enforcement campaign to hold accountable U.S. and foreign persons who violate Iran sanctions will continue as part of Operation Economic Outcast. Today, OFAC published a new Iran Statement of Licensing Policy, notifying the public of a presumption of denial except as required by law or in certain circumstances. As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated