BEIRUT \u2014 Hezbollah on Wednesday dismissed a multimillion dollar reward offered by the Trump administration in return for information on two of its key operatives, describing it as an ongoing attempt to \u201cdemonize\u201d the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tougher U.S. measures, including a plan to further tighten sanctions imposed on Hezbollah, are part of a larger effort to ramp up pressure on Iran, which has expanded its influence across the region through the Lebanese militant group and other proxies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. and Israeli officials have expressed mounting concern about the expanding footprint of Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed forces in war-torn Syria, and are looking for ways to pressure Tehran. President Donald Trump is threatening to scuttle the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, a process he could initiate in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe U.S. and Israel are concerned about Iran consolidating its position in Syria. With no reliable sign that either party is willing to do anything decisive about that, they\u2019re left with options such as sanctions, arrest warrants and the like,\u201d said Faysal Itani, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council\u2019s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press in Beirut Wednesday that the U.S. measures will not affect the group. He was reacting to the State Department\u2019s announcement Tuesday of a total of $12 million for information leading to the location, arrest or conviction of two senior commanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is part of the continuous efforts to demonize Hezbollah. They are false accusations that will not have any effect on the operational activities of Hezbollah,\u201d the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with party regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rewards are the first offered by the United States for Hezbollah leaders in a decade, and come amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions following Trump\u2019s election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has called the nuclear deal one of America\u2019s \u201cworst and most one-sided transactions\u201d ever. He is expected to decline this week to certify Iran\u2019s compliance and refer the matter to Congress. He also is expected to target Iran\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard with new sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned of a tough response if Trump presses ahead with his threats to scuttle the nuclear deal, saying Iran \u201cwill never renegotiate\u201d the agreement brokered under the Obama administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The State Department on Tuesday offered up to $7 million for information on Talal Hamiyah, who it claims leads Hezbollah\u2019s \u201cinternational terrorism branch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another $5 million is being offered for information on Fuad Shukr, a member of Hezbollah who runs the group\u2019s military forces in southern Lebanon, where the group is based. The State Department said he played a key role in Hezbollah\u2019s recent military operations in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hezbollah official dismissed the accusations, saying the United States is \u201cthe last state\u201d to designate people on terror lists, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups and states \u201cthat have a long history in financing and supporting terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to shore up President Bashar Assad\u2019s forces in Syria\u2019s ongoing civil war and also has been fighting the Islamic State group both inside Syria and along the Lebanese-Syrian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lebanese state is coming under increased pressure to rein in the group. Ambassador Nathan Sales, the U.S. State Department Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, said Tuesday that the Lebanese government \u201cneeds to recognize (Hezbollah) as a terrorist organization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At a congressional hearing on Iran Wednesday morning, Rep. Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, continued the Republicans\u2019 tough rhetoric against Hezbollah, describing its current capabilities and arsenal as a \u201cpowder keg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman went a step further, saying Tuesday that Hezbollah controls Lebanon\u2019s army. The U.S. has given the Lebanese military more than $1 billion in security assistance over the past decade, viewing it as a counterbalance to Hezbollah and a partner in fighting al-Qaida, Islamic State and other extremists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hezbollah official said the U.S. measures, including sanctions targeting Hezbollah figures and institutions, would have a limited effect on the group while harming the Lebanese economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Itani, the analyst, also said it is highly unlikely the sanctions would affect Hezbollah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hezbollah \u201chas been a US-designated terrorist organization for a long time, and its people are smart enough to see this for what it likely is: a \u2018Plan B\u2019 for a power that is not willing to take on the risks of Plan A, which would be direct confrontation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hezbollah on Wednesday dismissed a multimillion dollar reward offered by the Trump administration in return for information on two of its key operatives, describing it as an ongoing attempt to \u201cdemonize\u201d the group.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":90151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,12,25,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2904],"class_list":["post-45471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"VA75HTVLLZFPNKWRFDWCNPEOOE","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2017\/10\/12\/hezbollah-says-new-us-measures-wont-affect-group\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n