Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is seen on a video screen as he addresses his supporters in Beirut, Lebanon January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Aziz Taher A new report states that $1.7 billion from the Obama administration to the Iranian regime in 2016 was used to fund various terror organizations, most notably Hezbollah.
According to the Washington Times, Hezbollah, Iran’s Quds Force and the Houthi rebels in Yemen were among the recipients of the $1.7 billion, although it’s unclear what the exact amount was for each terror organization.
The $1.7 billion payment was said to be due to a settlement based on a failed arms deal in 1979, however some have argued that it was actually a ransom payment as part of the Obama administration’s attempts to appease the regime in Tehran.
The report comes amidst a letter from Israeli United Nations Ambassador Danny Dannon to the U.N. warning that Iran and Hezbollah will become “dangerous and destabilizing” to the Middle East if the U.S. and U.N. don’t crack down on Hezbollah. Danon specifically cited Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi visiting Hezbollah in a U.N. buffer zone as an example of how the next Hezbollah-Israel conflict could feature a wide range of Islamic terrorists fighting against Israel.
“These Iranian efforts not only threaten Israelis, but also directly endanger the citizens of Lebanon by putting them on the frontlines where they are sure to pay a painful price resulting from possible future escalations,” Danon wrote.
Israel is also reportedly worried about Hezbollah’s growing influence on the Lebanese Armed Force (LAF), Lebanon’s military that was paid $120 million by the U.S. in 2017.
The Obama administration also reportedly undermined law enforcement efforts to crack down on Hezbollah so he could forge a nuclear deal with Iran.
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