Arab League foreign ministers yesterday declared Hizbollah a “terrorist” group, after the GCC adopted the same stance.
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Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil stressed on Sunday that declaring Hizbullah as a terrorist group at the Arab League was “unacceptable”, pointing out that Lebanon has already expressed reservation on that labeling.
Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf nations also accuse Iran of supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen, as well as attempting to destabilise their own regimes.
During the meetings, Kerry reiterated the strong alliance and friendship of the United States and commitment to working together with Saudi Arabia, and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and said he will be finalizing the date in the next few days for a foreign ministers GCC meeting.
“The resolution of the League’s council [of foreign ministers] includes the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist group”, the statement read.
Correspondents say the move by the Arab League, in the wake of the decision by the Saudi-led Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), will intensify pressure on Hezbollah.
Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite majority Iran are locked in a regional power struggle.
There has been no official announcement on how many troops were involved in the exercises.
The United Arab Emirates banned its citizens from travelling to Lebanon.
Hezbollah was established in the 1980s as a paramilitary and political organization originating in Lebanon’s Shiite population. Funded by Iran, it is the only side not to have put down weapons after Lebanon’s civil war from 1975 to 1990.
His Majesty, who returned home later on Friday, also attended a lunch banquet that King Salman held for the attending leaders and delegations, and performed Friday prayer at the Hospitality Mosque in the King Khalid Military City, a Royal Court statement said.
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The classification of Hezbollah as a terrorist group aligns the Arab League with the European Union and the United States, although the former have only designated the organization’s military wing as terrorist.
