In a significant development near the Lebanon-Syria border, a high-profile Syrian businessman, Mohammed Baraa Katerji, was killed in an Israeli drone strike on Monday. Katerji, who was sanctioned by the United States, had close ties to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to pro-government media and an official from an Iran-backed group.

The strike took place near the area of Saboura, just a few kilometers inside Syria after presumably crossing from Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes have been a frequent occurrence in recent years, primarily targeting members of Iran-backed groups and Syria's military. However, it is unusual for such strikes to target individuals within the government.

Sources from an Iran-backed group confirmed that Katerji was instantly killed while in his SUV on the highway linking Lebanon with Syria. The pro-government Al-Watan daily referred to his death as a "Zionist drone strike on his car," providing no further details.

Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stated that Katerji was in a car with Lebanese license plates when he was targeted. Katerji was seemingly singled out due to his alleged funding of the "Syrian resistance" against Israel in the Golan Heights, as well as his connections to Iran-backed groups in Syria.

Israel has consistently sought to curb Iranian influence in its northern neighbor and, as a result, has conducted numerous strikes on targets within government-controlled areas of Syria. Generally, Israel does not publicly acknowledge these strikes.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had sanctioned Katerji in 2018 for acting as Assad's intermediary in oil trade with the Islamic State group and facilitating weapons shipments from Iraq to Syria. These sanctions were authorized under a 2011 executive order issued during the Obama administration, which prohibits certain transactions with Syria. At the time of Katerji's death, the sanctions were still in effect, as confirmed by the OFAC database.

OFAC further revealed that Katerji was responsible for import and export activities in Syria. He allegedly used food items as a cover to transport weapons and ammunition, with the shipments being overseen by the designated Syrian General Intelligence Directorate. The Katerji Company, a trucking company based in Syria, was also implicated in shipping weapons from Iraq to Syria. Moreover, the company was identified as the exclusive supplier of goods, including oil, to areas controlled by the Islamic State group.

Both Katerji brothers, including Hussam, have been involved in the oil business in Syria since the onset of the country's conflict in 2011. Hussam Katerji, a former member of Syria's parliament, remains active within the business sector.

The U.S. Treasury declined to comment on the drone strike, and the situation continues to develop.