Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari on Thursday strongly denounced a recent move by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council to call the Lebanese Resistance Movement, Hezbollah, a terrorist group, saying such stances are against the interests of the Muslim world.
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He said that activity has included recruiting militants for terrorist attacks, smuggling weapons and explosives, and inciting disorder and violence.
The Shiite Hezbollah organization is closely allied with Syria and Iran, the latter of which is embroiled in a bitter political rivalry with Sunni Saudi Arabia.
Former Lebanese Sunni prime minister Saad al-Hariri stopped short of publicly endorsing the Saudi decision, but criticized Hezbollah for its involvement in Syria and its alleged involvement in Yemen which he described as “unlawful, criminal and terrorist”.
Hezbollah has played a crucial role in bolstering the Assad regime in Syria and assisting it in fighting opposition groups, many of which are backed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia has also recently suspended a three-billion-dollar package to the Lebanese army and a remainder of one billion dollars in aid to its internal security forces.
The EU only lists the military wing of Hezbollah on its terrorist blacklist. The fallout came after mobs stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in protest over Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric accused of anti-state crimes. The Emirates previously labeled regional Hezbollah affiliates with similar designations.
Wednesday’s move follows Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s accusation that Riyadh is trying to spark a sectarian insurrection in the region.
Hezbollah was targeted because of “hostile actions of the militia who recruit the young people” of the Gulf, he said.
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Associated Press writers Abdullah al-Shihri in Riyadh and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed reporting.
