Lebanon has been placed on the so-called "grey list" of countries under special scrutiny by financial crime watchdog FATF, FATF said on Friday.
Elisa de Anda (R) © X
Lebanon has been placed on the so-called "grey list" of countries under special scrutiny by financial crime watchdog FATF, FATF said on Friday.
"Of course we recognise the extreme, grave situation that Lebanon is currently facing," Elisa de Anda Madrazo, the watchdog's president, told journalist.
"Lebanon's status on the grey list should not impede relief efforts ... We are working to make sure that channels of humanitarian aid remain open," she added.
Lebanon has been in a financial crisis since 2019 that has been left to fester by the country's leaders and now faces growing damage from Israeli airstrikes and ground operations against Hezbollah.
Madrazo said Lebanon had been accorded some flexibility regarding deadlines set in its action plan, but did not provide details at the news conference.
A source told Reuters earlier on Friday that the war had led the FATF to give Lebanon until 2026 instead of 2025 to address the issues that led to its grey-listing, including concerns over terrorism financing and a lack of judicial independence.
The grey-listing is likely to further deter investment in Lebanon and could affect the relationship between some Lebanese banks and the global financial system.
Reporting by Timour Azhari in Beirut and Makini Brice in Paris
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said the situation in Syria, where rebels are pressing a rapid advance that is threatening President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power, was creating a new weakness for militant Lebanese group Hezbollah and for Iran.
Iran's acceleration in its enrichment of uranium to close to bomb grade is "extremely serious", has no civilian justification and contradicts Tehran's assertions on wanting serious nuclear negotiations, a Western diplomatic source said on Saturday.
Rebel factions have advanced to within 20 kilometers of the capital Damascus after taking control of the southern province of Deraa, according to statements made Saturday by a rebel commander and a monitoring group.
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