“The resolution of the League’s council (of foreign ministers) includes the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist group”, he said reading from a statement at the Cairo headquarters of the League.
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He also accused Saudi Arabia of seeking to cause strife between Sunnis and Shiites everywhere in the world and said its execution of al-Nimr in January came in that context.
The Arab League on Friday formally branded Hezbollah a terrorist organization, a move that raises concerns of deepening divisions among Arab countries and ramps up the pressure on the Shiite group, which is fighting on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The Arab League, dominated by Sunni Muslim countries, said the decision had been near unanimous.
“Whoever accuses Popular Resistance for the Liberation of Iraq and Hezbollah of terrorism is the one who supports and adopts terrorism”, Jaafari said in his speech, a source in the foreign ministry told the Iraqi news agency.
The decision was backed by all member states except for Lebanon and Iraq which expressed reservations, according to Ahram online.
Later in remarks to Egypt’s CBC Extra television, Jaafari praised Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for “facing up to terrorism and Israel with courage”.
It was the latest step taken by Gulf states against Hizbullah, which has lawmakers in Lebanon’s parliament.
This was followed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait telling their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately while the UAE banned on its citizens travelling to the country.
Jubeir said Saudi Arabia believed a political settlement that would ensure the Houthis abided by common understandings reached before the Houthi capture of Sanaa would pave the way to a solution.
The [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council officially added Hezbollah and all affiliated groups to its so-called list of “terrorist” organizations on March 2.
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Hezbollah was established in the 1980s as a paramilitary and political organization originating in Lebanon’s Shiite population.
