Lebanon-US Financial Pressure: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met PM Nawaf Salam and Finance Minister Yassine Jaber in Washington, urging Beirut to take “decisive action” to disrupt Iranian and Hezbollah financial networks while pushing banking-sector reforms to restore confidence. Diplomatic Push: Salam also met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stressed full implementation of the Lebanon-Israel-U.S. trilateral framework as the route to lasting peace. IMF/Recovery Agenda: Salam met World Bank chief Ajay Banga and IFC leadership to discuss reform, recovery and reconstruction, with focus on energy, water, infrastructure, digital transformation and social safety nets. Regional Shock to Lebanon’s Economy: Reporting on the Strait of Hormuz crisis highlights how Iran’s threats and shipping disruptions keep global oil and gas costs volatile—an issue that feeds directly into Lebanon’s import bill and inflation pressures. Sanctions & Banking Risk: A U.S. Senate Democratic report alleges Tether’s USDT was used in Iran-linked shadow banking, adding to the broader compliance pressure facing Lebanon’s financial sector.