Speaking in Hafr al-Batin in Saudi Arabia, at a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir whose country leads an Arab coalition trying to dislodge Iran-allied Houthis from areas in Yemen captured previous year, Kerry said that both sides have agreed to work together in the coming days “to explore the possibilities of a political solution”.
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Almost all members of the pan-Arab body supported the decision, but not Lebanon and Iraq which expressed reservations, the bloc said in a statement read out at a news conference by Bahraini diplomat Wahid Mubarak Sayar.
Earlier in the day, the Saudi delegation briefly withdrew from discussions to protest against Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari’s refusal to label Hizbollah as terrorist.
Egypt’s state news agency says the Arab League has formally branded Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group a terrorist organization.
Hours before the GCC decision, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a televised speech in which he harshly criticized Saudi Arabia for its punitive measures against Lebanon.
Yesterday’s announcement came after the GCC last week also declared the Lebanese Shiite militia and political movement a “terrorist” group.
The Arab League meeting on Friday also condemned what it described as continued Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain, the statement said, adding that Hizbollah, along with the Iranian revolutionary guard, financed and trained terrorist groups in Bahrain. During the visit, the Prime Minister, besides attending the concluding ceremony of “North Thunder” military exercises alongwith the other Heads of States and Majesties whose countries took part in the exercises, also met Saudi King.
On March 2, the GCC – which also includes Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates – declared Hizbullah a “terrorist” group.
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“Hezbollah is a Lebanese party that enjoys broad representation in the parliament and Cabinet”.
