Info:
OFAC is designating Muhammad Qasir (Qasir) for acting for or on behalf of Hizballah;
Qasir acted as a critical conduit for financial disbursements from the IRGC-QF to Hizballah;
Qasir has worked with the IRGC-QF to transfer funds;
Qasir is subject to secondary sanctions pursuant to the Hizballah Financial Sanctions Regulations, which implements the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015;
Pursuant to this authority, OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for Hizballah, or a person acting on behalf of or at the direction of, or owned or controlled by, Hizballah;
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on September 4, 2019 took action against a large shipping network that is directed by and financially supports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and its terrorist proxy Hizballah. Over the past year, the IRGC-QF has moved oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars or more through this network for the benefit of the brutal Assad regime, Hizballah, and other illicit actors. Senior IRGC-QF official and former Iranian Minister of Petroleum Rostam Qasemi oversees this sprawling network, which features dozens of ship managers, vessels, and facilitators. This complex network of intermediaries enables the IRGC-QF to obfuscate its involvement in selling Iranian oil. The IRGC-QF also relies heavily on Hizballah officials and front companies to broker associated contracts. OFAC also is issuing a new shipping advisory to the maritime community warning of these types of schemes and the sanctions risks associated with blocked persons;
The IRGC-QF uses several front companies to mask its role in selling the crude oil, condensate, and gas oil. The companies are overseen by Hizballah officials Muhammad Qasir and Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal (al-Bazzal), both of whom were designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 in 2018 in connection with another oil-for-terror scheme;
Lebanon-based Hokoul supplies SYTROL with Iranian crude under IRGC-QF auspices. Al-Bazzal and other Hizballah officials have control over the contractual and financial obligations of Hokoul, while Ali Qasir represents Hokoul in negotiating its supply of Iranian crude to Syria;
Ali Qasir also is the managing director of Talaqi Group, which finances oil shipments for the IRGC-QF;
Ali Qasir worked with Mahmud Ashtari, Hamrahan Pishro Tejarat, and Hizballah-linked Talaqi Group to facilitate the sale of tens of millions of dollars’ worth of steel debar;
Also Known As:
Kassir, Mohammed Jaafar;
Qasir, Muhammad Jafar;
Eynaki
Fadi
Gholi, Hossein;
Majid;
Salah, Shaykh;
Country:
Syria
Born:
12 Feb 1967
Place of Birth:
Dayr Qanun Al-Nahr, Lebanon
Reason for the color:
» Added on May 15, 2018 to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), freezing its assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting transactions with U.S. parties;
» Added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on September 4, 2019 pursuant to Executive Order 13224 today for being owned or controlled by IRGC;
» Map of designated network;