\n<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON — <\/span>A group of Hezbollah-affiliated parliamentarians, state security officials, and allies of the militant group were hit with U.S. sanctions Thursday, for allegedly seeking to preserve the Iran-backed group’s influence over Lebanese state institutions and obstruct disarmament efforts. <\/p>\n It\u2019s the first time Washington has sanctioned sitting Lebanese state security officials, one from the country’s General Security agency and the other from the military intelligence, both of them accused of providing Hezbollah with \u201cillicit support\u201d and intelligence during the ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n The announcement comes as pressure mounts on Beirut to take more decisive action in disarming the group. <\/p>\n Included in Thursday’s sanctions are former cabinet minister and senior Hezbollah official Mohammed Fneish<\/a>, senior Hezbollah parliamentarians Hassan Fadlallah<\/a>, Ibrahim al-Moussawi and Hussein Hajj Hassan. All have pushed against efforts for disarmament.<\/p>\n Mohammad Reza Sheibani, the Iranian Ambassador designate to Lebanon \u2014 who was ordered to leave Beirut by Lebanon’s foreign ministry<\/a> \u2014 was also hit with sanctions. <\/p>\n Treasury accuses the men of undermining Lebanon’s ability to disarm the Iranian-backed Shiite militant organization.<\/p>\n The announcement comes as Lebanese and Israeli officials continue holding low-level talks in Washington<\/a> in a bid to end the monthslong war between Israel and Hezbollah. Military officials from both sides are expected to hold their first direct talks in the Pentagon on May 29 as Israel mounts pressure on Lebanon to disarm the powerful group, and Beirut urges Israel to end its daily airstrikes and to withdraw its troops from large swaths of southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n