Lebanese firms, nationals
in recent U.S. Iran sanctions

Allegedly associated

with missile program

Two Lebanese individuals and four companies (some of which are associated with the said individuals) are included in new sanctions against Iran announced by the United States on Friday. The targeted entities were allegedly associated with Iran's missile program and a network accused of providing cash transfers to Hezbollah.

Those sanctioned include:
Yehya Hajj
Mohamed Abdul Amir Farhat
Maher Trading and Construction (Hassan Ibrahimi, Yehia Issa Mohamed Hajj, Ahmad Hassan Mansour)
Mirage for Engineering & Trading Co. (Mohamed Abdelamir Farhat - General Partner, Sanaa Younes Asseily, Bechara Rida Farhat)
Mirage Waste Management and Environmental Services
Reem Pharmaceutical (Mohamed Abdelamir Farhat, Tarek Moustafa Farhat, Hassan Ezzat Farhat, Alia Rida Faridi)

Mirage and Reem belong to the same group of companies.

The U.S. Treasury Department said it was applying sanctions on 25 individuals and companies connected to Iran's ballistic missile program and those providing support to Iran's Quds Force, which is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This included three separate networks linked to supporting the missile program, which the U.S. opposes.

According to U.S. officials, the Treasury announcement reflected months of work, prior to Donald Trump taking office.

The new sanctions have designated Abdollah Asgharzadeh, an Iranian businessman whom the Treasury Department accused of acting as a procurement agent for the ballistic missile program. It also singled out individuals within Asgharzadeh's network.

The Treasury Department said it was freezing all U.S. assets for those individuals and prohibiting Americans from doing business with them. A U.S. official said the individuals who came under sanction on Friday have "touch points" in the U.S. financial system.