The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Tuesday sanctioned a gold exchange that converts Hezbollah’s gold reserves into currency to fund the designated foreign terrorist organization.
Treasury officials also sanctioned an international procurement and commodities shipping scheme created by Hezbollah financiers that are operating throughout the Middle East, including in Iran, officials announced.
“Hezbollah is a threat to peace and stability in the Middle East,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Treasury will work to cut these terrorists off from the global financial system to give Lebanon a chance to be peaceful and prosperous again.”
The Lebanon-based gold exchange company Jood SARL is sanctioned, which treasury officials said is supervised by officials for Hezbollah’s Al-Qard al-Hassan finance wing, also a sanctioned entity.
“Hezbollah continues to use AQAH to facilitate its destabilizing militant activities, undermining the Lebanese people’s ability to rebuild while enabling the group’s own interests,” the Treasury Department said.
AQAH operates as a non-governmental organization within Lebanon but acts as a bank on behalf of Hezbollah, which goes beyond the activities claimed in its Lebanese NGO licensing agreement.
It ensures Hezbollah has access to cash to fund its ongoing terrorist activities after establishing a chain of companies that trade gold in Lebanon and possibly in other countries.
AQAH officials rapidly created the companies in 2025 at the urging of Hezbollah leadership as the organization experienced financial difficulties.
Jood SARL is among those companies, and AQAH officials intend to open more branches in mostly Shiite-run locations, such as Beirut, the Bek’a valley and Nabatiyeh.
The Treasury Department said Jood SARL’s co-owners and managing partners include AQAH officials Mohamed Nayef Maged and Ali Karnib.
“The establishment of Jood is the latest in a series of schemes Al-Qard Al-Hassan has used to obfuscate its financial activities,” the treasury said.
Treasury officials said the financial activities include procuring arms from Russia and selling commodities, such as gold and fertilizer, to pay for the arms and fund Hezbollah activities.
Tuesday’s sanctions require the reporting of all relevant property and interests of the sanctioned entities that are located in or controlled by those in the United States.
The sanctions also apply to any properties or interests in which the Hezbollah-linked entities have at least a 50% ownership interest. Criminal charges could be filed for sanctions violations.
The United States designated Hezbollah a foreign terrorist organization on Oct. 8, 1997, and as a specially designated global terrorist on Oct. 31, 2001.