Sanctions imposed on Iran should thwart the country’s ability to finance terrorism, according to a US politician, in light of the upcoming “snapback” sanctions that the Trump administration is looking to implement.

An opinion piece by US Representative Ted Budd on Fox News says it is clear that Iran is promoting the expansion of military and terrorist activities across the Middle East. It also calls on people to evaluate the actions of the Iranian government.

In his piece, Budd mentions Iran’s support of the Hezbollah should be scrutinised. He writes: “Western diplomats and Lebanese analysts estimate that Iranian financial support for Hezbollah averages around $100 million each year, sometimes reaching amounts closer to a quarter of a billion dollars.” Many of these militants have also received Iranian weaponry and training. He tops this off by saying that the militant group is a direct source of instability in the region.

Further, the US politicians also attributes Houthi’s access to missiles to the Hezbollah, saying that the group provided it to them. He also warns of an increasing Hezbollah presence in North Africa.

Iran and the militant group’s actions pose a threat to US security interests as well as the stability of the region.

In the piece, he also gave attention to Qatar’s support of terrorism. The Gulf country has been funding terrorist groups and has also garnered the support of Iran. Budd also makes note that Iranian banks moved their foreign exchange operations to the Qatar National Bank.

Wrapping up, he ends the piece by calling for harsher sanctions that impede Iran’s ability to access finance which will affect the country’s ability to fund destabilisation activities in the region and around the world.

Source » khaleejtimes