A Lebanese bank targeted by the US Treasury Department for "knowingly facilitating banking activities" for the militant Hezbollah group denied the charges Friday, saying it abides by international laws.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Jammal Trust Bank on Thursday and added it to its list of global terrorist organizations.
Lebanon Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil tweeted that the country's banking sector will be able to overcome the repercussions of the Department of Treasury's decision, adding that deposits of the bank's clients will be safe.
The bank said it learned about the sanctions "with great surprise" and "denies each and every allegation" on which the Treasury based its action.
The statement also said the bank is committed to "abiding strictly by Central Bank of Lebanon rules and regulations, as well as all international rules and regulations on countering money laundering and financing of terrorism."
The Treasury Department last month targeted a Hezbollah security official and two members of Lebanon's parliament suspected of using their positions to further the aims of the Iran-backed militia and "bolster Iran's malign activities."