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Hagar Chemali

Hagar Hajjar Chemali is founder and CEO of Greenwich Media Strategies, which offers communications strategy, media engagement and public-relations consulting in areas including national security and counter-illicit finance. She comments and writes on national security and is an expert in sanctions and counter-illicit finance. Chemali is regularly featured on American TV news networks such as MSNBC and CNN.

Chemali held a number of senior public-affairs and policy-making positions over the course of 12 years in the US government. She is the former director of communications and spokesperson for the US mission to the United Nations and for Ambassador Samantha Power. Prior to that, she was spokesperson for terrorism and financial intelligence at the treasury department.

From 2010-2012, Chemali was director for Syria and Lebanon at the national security council at the White House. She was also a Middle East policy advisor at the treasury department’s office of terrorist financing and financial crimes.

Chemali received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Barnard College at Columbia University and a master of international affairs from its School of International and Public Affairs.

Articles By Hagar Chemali

Trump’s Sanctions Are Working and Will Prevent War with Iran and Reduce Tehran’s Influence in the Middle East By Hagar Hajjar Chemali - Jun 19, 2019

Iran sanctions are on the rise again, and more are coming. Iran is engaged in a series of missteps that will land it further in financial pain, rather than war. The reason for that is because from the Trump administration’s point of view, these sanctions are working to achieve their goals. On June 13, the … Continue reading “Trump’s Sanctions Are Working and Will Prevent War with Iran and Reduce Tehran’s Influence in the Middle East”

What the Iran Sanctions Mean for Global Business By Hagar Hajjar Chemali - Aug 12, 2018

The re-imposition of Iran nuclear-related sanctions by the Trump administration has ruffled the feathers of numerous foreign governments and businesses. The Europeans and Iranians are figuring out if they can go it alone and move ahead with the previously negotiated nuclear deal without the United States. The Russians have been left in a lurch with … Continue reading “What the Iran Sanctions Mean for Global Business”

The Wind Against Iran Is Blowing in Hezbollah and the Houthis’ Backyard By Hagar Hajjar Chemali - May 23, 2018

Last week, the US treasury department issued three separate sanctions actions targeting Iran’s support for Hezbollah, Hezbollah’s senior leadership and Hezbollah’s broader financial and criminal network. In addition to these steps, the treasury also sanctioned Iranian individuals who provided ballistic missile-related expertise to the Houthis in Yemen. It’s no coincidence these moves took place one … Continue reading “The Wind Against Iran Is Blowing in Hezbollah and the Houthis’ Backyard”

The Next Frontier in Iran’s Expansionist Game By Hagar Hajjar Chemali - Apr 4, 2018

In mid-March, the US treasury department, in coordination with the justice department, sanctioned Iran’s Mabna Institute and 10 Iranian individuals for “engaging in significant malicious cyber-enabled activities.” The US government asserted those designated had “engaged in the theft of valuable intellectual property and data from hundreds of US and third-country universities and a media company … Continue reading “The Next Frontier in Iran’s Expansionist Game”