In a press conference April 7 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said with the measures that the United States has taken, Iran will have less and less money to spend on its proxies such as the Hezbollah of Lebanon and Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq.
In response to a reporter who asked how he can counter the message that despite the U.S. government's efforts to dry up Iranian money for proxies, Hezbollah emerged as the party in Lebanon that provided services, helping people during the coronavirus crisis, Secretary Pompeo said: "Hezbollah has fewer dollars today to engage in nefarious activity than they did when President Trump took office," he said.
In Lebanon the Hezbollah, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, has reportedly employed its network of volunteers and medical staff to help with the coronavirus crisis.
Pompeo added that Iran will continue to have fewer dollars until it changes its model and described it as "the model that says we’re going to use resources – resources that could right now be going for the Iranian people, to help take care of them when they’re in a health crisis themselves".
Washington has imposed heavy economic sanctions on the Islamic republic, partly because of what is says is Iran's interventionist policies in the region and supporting militant proxy forces.
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"Hezbollah Has Fewer Dollars Today To Engage In Nefarious Activity," Said Secretary Pompeo
According to the State Department's press release Pompeo also said that the previous administration had given Iran a huge amount of money and the Trump administration has done "remarkable work to deny the regime the resources they need to continue to carry out their terror campaign".
"Hezbollah has fewer dollars today to engage in nefarious activity than they did when President Trump took office," he said and also added: "We will reduce the threat that Iran will ever chase a nuclear weapon in the way that they were on a path toward chasing under the previous administration.
Iranian officials who have repeatedly denied spending money for meddling in other countries' affairs through proxies have not reacted to Pompeo's recent remarks.