Al-Sabhan Calls for 'Punishing' Those who 'Cooperate' with Hizbullah

Firebrand Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan tweeted anew against Hizbullah on Thursday, commenting on the sanctions that were approved overnight by the U.S. House of Representatives.

“In order to rein in the 'terrorist militia party', those who work and cooperate with it politically, economically and journalistically should be punished,” al-Sabhan said.

“Serious efforts must be exerted to clip its wings domestically and externally and to confront it with force,” the minister added.

Al-Sabhan has taken to Twitter to blast Hizbullah several times in recent months.

Earlier in the day, Hizbullah denounced the new U.S. sanctions that are designed to thwart the group's cash flow, calling them an "aggression" against Lebanon.

In a statement, the Iranian-backed group said the new measures were a "blatant intervention in Lebanese internal affairs, a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and an unacceptable targeting of the Lebanese people."

The statement came a day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to block the flow of allegedly illicit money to the group and to sanction it, describing Hizbullah as Iran's “leading terrorist proxy.”

The bill targeting Hizbullah's finances, sponsored by Reps. Ed Royce and Eliot Engel, directs the Trump administration to sanction the people and businesses engaged in fundraising and recruitment activities for the group.

Joseph Torbey, head of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, told reporters earlier this week that U.S. officials have reassured a Lebanese banking delegation that visited Washington recently the sanctions won't target Lebanese banks as long as they abide by American regulations.

The new sanctions come at a time when the Trump administration is increasing pressure on Iran, Hizbullah's main backer that has been supplying the group with weapons and money for more than three decades.

A Hizbullah official earlier this month told The Associated Press that U.S. sanctions will not affect the operational activities of the group, calling it part of ongoing efforts to "demonize" Hizbullah.