US amends Hezbollah designation to specify it as an Iranian proxy, not Lebanese resistance

The US has formally amended its designation of Lebanese Hezbollah to specify that the group is an Iranian proxy, “not a stand-alone operation as implied by the previous designation,” a State Department official said Thursday.

Executive Order 13224 now specifically states that Hezbollah has been sanctioned for acting for or on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF).

The amendment underscores that Hezbollah operates with little to no regard for Lebanese sovereignty, the Lebanese people, or the Lebanese state, the official said.

“This determination formally recognizes that Hezbollah’s military operations, external security activities, and major financing networks function as an extension of the IRGC-QF, Iran’s primary instrument for conducting terrorism beyond its borders,” the official said. “It is not a Lebanese resistance movement.”

The official pointed to Hezbollah officials’ repeated pledges of loyalty and allegiance to Iran’s supreme leader, saying the Quds Force also exerts decisive influence over the group’s military and strategic decisions.

Washington remains committed to disrupting the networks that enable Iran to use Hezbollah as a tool to undermine Lebanese sovereignty, threaten regional stability, and advance Tehran’s terrorist agenda, the official said.

The official also accused Hezbollah of twice dragging Lebanon into devastating wars with Israel over the past two years, saying the group remains an obstacle to Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, and economic recovery.

Beirut has banned Hezbollah’s military and intelligence activities, but the group has refused to surrender its weapons and come fully under state authority.

“The disarmament and dismantlement of Hezbollah is essential for any credible path forward for Lebanon, and we are working with partners to advance that goal,” the State Department official said.