Trump envoy on Iran says US to target funding for Hezbollah, Hamas

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with the Trump administration’s special representative for Iran, who said the United States would target Iranian funding for the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups following the re-imposition of sanctions on Tehran.

Brian Hook was named as the State Department’s point man for Iran policy in August as part of increased efforts to ramp up pressure on the Islamic Republic in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 international deal curbing the Iranian nuclear program.

As part of the pullout from the accord, the US imposed a second round of sanctions earlier this month on Iran’s energy and financial sectors.

“Now that we have reimposed our sanctions we’re in a position to really go after all of the revenue streams that Iran uses to fund Hamas and Hezbollah, its missile proliferation, all of the threats to peace and security that Iran presents,” Hook said.

Turning to Netanyahu, Hook praised Israel as a “fantastic and committed partner in this endeavor.”

Both Hezbollah and Hamas, which are based in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip respectively, possess significant rocket arsenals directed at Israel and are committed to the Jewish state’s destruction.

Israel earlier this week engaged in an intense exchange of fire with Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups in Gaza that saw over 460 rockets and mortars fired at Israeli territory over a 25-hour period.

The Israeli military struck over 160 sites in Gaza connected to the Hamas and Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad in response to the rocket fire before a Hamas-announced ceasefire took effect on Tuesday.

Speaking with Hook, Netanyahu praised the “power sanctions” by the Trump administration on Iran and said they would help shrink Iran’s regional footprint.

“It’s the most important thing that has been done against the most aggressive power in the region that has to be rolled back. I think the sanctions are a very important American step to establish peace in our region and peace in the world,” Netanyahu said.

The meeting came after Trump’s national security adviser said Tuesday the US would “squeeze” Iran “until the pips squeak.”

The sanctions have been opposed by other parties to the deal aimed at ending Iran’s nuclear drive — Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia — who have vowed to keep the accord alive.

UN inspectors say Iran is abiding by the agreement.

Washington is demanding that Iran end policies rooted in the 1979 Islamist Revolution, including its support for regional proxies such as Hezbollah and its development of missiles.

The only support for the US position has come from Iran’s regional rivals, notably Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The International Monetary Fund has forecast that the sanctions will cause Iran’s economy to contract 1.5 percent this year and 3.6 percent next year.