US hits nine Hezbollah-aligned individuals in Lebanon with sanctions

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against nine individuals, including Iran's designated ambassador to Lebanon, for obstructing the peace process in the Middle Eastern country and impeding the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said the officials were embedded across Lebanon’s parliament, military, and security sectors, where they worked to preserve Hezbollah's influence over key Lebanese state institutions.