On October 22, 2020, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Nabil Qaouk and Hassan al-Baghdadi, two members of HIzballah’s Central Council, a group responsible for electing Hizballah’s decision-making body. The two were designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, leaders and officials in terrorist groups, and all who support acts of terrorism.
Both men have spoken publicly on behalf of Hizballah. Qaouk has denounced the US presence in the region, threatend war with Israel, and praised Hizballah’s use of guerrilla warfare. Baghdadi has defended Hizballah’s targeting of Americans, and in 2020 he praised the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and fighters in Syria and Iraq for attacking American military bases.
As a result of these designations, US property belonging to these individuals is blocked, and transactions with them are generally prohibited. In addition, any entity in the US that is owned fifty percent or more by a sanctioned person is also blocked, and anyone who engages in transactions with designated individuals risks exposure to secondary sanctions.
Department of Treasury Press Release