Report: U.S. Sanctions to Target Christian Ministers, Businessmen

U.S. sanctions will soon target Christian ministers and businessmen accused by Washington of aiding Hizbullah, a media report said.

“There is a lot of talk about U.S. sanctions on Hizbullah’s allies, especially those close to the presidency, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Marada Movement and the Syrian Social National Party,” al-Akhbar newspaper quoted “friends of Washington” as saying in remarks published Monday.

The U.S. administration sees “a need to expand the sanctions campaign to target politicians, including ministers, and businessmen who work inside and outside Lebanon, most of whom are supporters of the FPM, the Marada Movement and the SSNP,” the sources added.

Those who will be targeted are figures who are “close to FPM and Marada ministers as well as to the leaderships of the two movements,” the sources went on to say, noting that they are accused of facilitating Hizbullah’s transactions.

“Any sanctions will not be exclusively limited to fund transfer operations but will also completely impede the movement and travel of those targeted,” the sources added.