U.S. sanctions Vancouver company for alleged ties to Hezbollah

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Hezbollah supporters raise group's flags and image of late leader Hassan Nasrallah at protest in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein). AP Photo/Bilal Hussein



A Vancouver company has been sanctioned by the United States government for its alleged ties to a $100-million network accused of financing Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics was added to the U.S. sanctions list in a move that targeted 16 individuals and entities in the Middle East and Canada.

The sanctions allege the co-founder and chief executive officer of the B.C. company is Raoof Fadel, who is based in Qatar and involved with the “Hezbollah finance team.”

Corporate records obtained by Global News show the sanctioned Canadian company was registered in B.C. in 2022 and remains active as 1380892 B.C. LTD.

Its directors are listed as Fadel, as well as Mohamad Wehbe and Ahmed Wehbe, all of whom are described in the records as residents of Qatar.

In addition to sanctioning their B.C. company, the U.S. Treasury also imposed sanctions on Fadel and Mohamad Wehbe, who are both Lebanese citizens.

They could not be reached for comment.

The company’s corporate registration was completed by a Winnipeg consulting firm, while its registered address is a Vancouver law firm, the records shows.

Neither responded to requests for comment. The company is not sanctioned in Canada. The federal government has not responded to questions.

The B.C. government said it was reaching out to federal authorities, who are responsible for national security, before taking any action.

‘Axis of resistance’​

Hezbollah is part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” a collection of armed extremist groups that serve Tehran’s interests throughout the Middle East.


A listed terrorist organization in Canada, which calls it a “radical Shia group,” Hezbollah is part of the current conflict launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.


Canada’s national security agencies have long reported that the international Hezbollah fundraising network was active in the country.

A 2022 Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada terrorist financing alert warned about Hezbollah’s activities.

It warned that, after the Islamic State, Hezbollah was the international terrorist group most frequently detected moving money across borders.

The bulk of the money went to Lebanon, often laundered through auto sales, FINTRAC wrote in its operational alert to financial institutions.

In January, Global News reported that a Lebanese auto trader living in Ontario on a work permit, Fahed Sowane, was allegedly laundering money “to benefit Hezbollah.”

While Sowane, who denies the allegations, faces deportation over the allegations, enforcement action related to Hezbollah is rare in Canada.

“Governments must do more to ensure that Canada is not used as a safe haven for Iran’s Islamic regime and its proxies that threaten global security and target civilians,” said Nico Slobinsky of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.