Washington, DC – The United States has affirmed its intention to seize what it sees as a “golden opportunity” in Lebanon to sever Iranian funding to Hezbollah and pressure the group to disarm. This comes as part of a broader US strategy to curb Iranian influence in the region.
John Hurley, the U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in an interview with Reuters on Friday, November 8, 2025: “There is a moment in Lebanon right now. If we can get Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese people can take back their country.”
One billion dollars annually despite “maximum pressure”
Hurley revealed that Iran managed to transfer approximately $1 billion to Hezbollah during 2025, despite the harsh Western sanctions imposed on Tehran. He emphasized that “the key is to counter Iranian influence and control, which begins with all the money they are pouring into Hezbollah.”
These statements come in the context of the American “maximum pressure” campaign, supported by new regional factors that Washington sees as a historic opportunity: the weakening of Hezbollah militarily in the 2023-2024 war with Israel, and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, which was a vital route for the transfer of Iranian weapons and funds.
Punitive measures and US expectations
In a recent practical step, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on November 6, 2025, on three individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah, accusing them of transferring tens of millions of Iranian dollars through exchange offices in Lebanon to rebuild the party’s military infrastructure.
Hurley noted that “Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous and safe, but this will only be achieved by disarming Hezbollah and cutting off its Iranian funding.”
Washington believes that weakening Hezbollah financially and militarily, along with the Lebanese government’s commitment to disarming illegal groups, presents an opportunity to reduce Iranian influence, noting that the continuation of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon comes in the context of accusing the party of rebuilding its capabilities despite the ceasefire.
