The Treasury Department announced sanctions designations against "nine targets in an international network through which the Iranian regime, working with Russian companies, provides millions of barrels of oil to the Syrian government. The Assad regime, in turn, facilitates the movements of hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars to the IRGC Qods force for onward transfer to Hamas and Hizbollah". Secretary Pompeo stated that the sanctions show "there are grave consequences for anyone shipping oil to Syria, or trying to evade U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic's terrorist activities". He added that Supreme Leader Khamenei "should decide if spending the Iranian people's money on the Iranian people is more important than inventing schemes to fund Assad, Hizbollah, Hamas and other terrorists".