Tasnim – The US Senate approved two bills that clear the way for new sanctions against the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah.


The two bills were unanimously passed with bipartisan support on Friday, sending the “Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2017” (HIFPAA) and the “STOP Using Human Shields Act” (aka STOP) to US President Donald Trump’s desk for being signed into law.

The two bills prepare the ground for fresh sanctions against Hezbollah.

HIFPAA would detect the foreign individuals and companies that voluntarily provide financial, material or technological support to Hezbollah. It also targets Hezbollah-controlled social and financial organizations.

The human shields prevention act would also impose sanctions on Hezbollah, Hamas, al-Qaeda and the groups that the US accuses of using civilians as human shields in conflicts.

Tyler Stapleton, deputy director of congressional relations at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told The National that unanimous support for the bills across party lines shows where Congress stands on Hezbollah.

“It means that every Senator thinks targeting Hezbollah's financing is a good policy objective and that sanctioning countries that do business with Hezbollah is worth pursuing,” he said.