Gulf Cooperation Council Designates Hezbollah as a Terrorist Organization

On Wednesday, March 1, six Gulf countries took action against Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia directly supported by the Islamic Republic, classifying the group as a 'terrorist' organization. A report by AFP refers to statements by Abdul Latif al-Zayani, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, who described Hezbollah as a 'threat' to the security of Arab countries. According to him, Hezbollah militants recruit the youth by inciting them and engage in 'terrorist activities in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.' This action by the Gulf Cooperation Council comes just days after Saudi Arabia announced it would halt its $3 billion aid program to the Lebanese army due to Hezbollah's activities. Hezbollah is one of the Iranian-backed groups that has a military presence in Syria, supporting Bashar al-Assad's government in the country's civil war, which positions it against Riyadh. Meanwhile, Lebanon, as a member of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, has not supported the statements from these two organizations condemning attacks on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran, which has caused dissatisfaction in Riyadh. Riyadh also warned last week about its citizens traveling to Lebanon and urged its nationals present in the country to leave. In this context, Qatar and Kuwait also adopted a similar stance, but the United Arab Emirates went further by announcing a travel ban for its citizens to Lebanon and reducing its relations with Beirut. Gulf Arab countries have imposed sanctions on Hezbollah since 2013, aimed at countering the group's military intervention in Syria. The six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.