SANAA: A Yemeni boy shouts slogans as Houthi militiamen hold a poster depicting Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah during a gathering to show their support to Hezbollah following the Gulf states’ announcement declaring the group a “ terrorist organization”, in the capital Sanaa yesterday. — AFP

BEIRUT: Lebanon's armed Hezbollah movement yesterday said a decision by Gulf States to designate it a terrorist organization was "reckless and hostile". The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) took the step on Wednesday, opening up the possibility of further sanctions against Hezbollah, which wields broad political influence in Lebanon and is fighting in Syria for President Bashar Al-Assad.

The group's bloc in parliament said it held Saudi Arabia responsible for the GCC decision. "The decision by the GCC is reckless and hostile and is condemned. The Saudi regime bears responsibility for its issuing and for the consequences," the bloc said after its weekly meeting.

The region's main Shiite power, Iran, had already accused Gulf Arab states of jeopardizing Lebanon's stability by blacklisting Hezbollah, which Iran supports. Saudi Arabia is competing with Iran for influence across the region, and both sides back different factions in Lebanon and in wars in Syria and Yemen.

Relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have plunged into crisis since Riyadh froze $3 billion in aid to the Lebanese army in response to the Beirut government's failure to condemn attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.

Iran warning

Iran warned yesterday that Gulf states were jeopardizing Lebanon's stability by blacklisting the leading force behind its government, Hezbollah, as a terror group. Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the Shiite militant group, which is one of Iran's closest allies, was a bulwark against terrorism in the region.

"We are proud of Lebanon's Hezbollah as the vanguard of resistance against the Zionist regime and the champion of the fight against terrorism in the region," Abdollahian told Iran's official IRNA news agency. "Those who call Hezbollah terrorists, have intentionally or unintentionally harmed the unity and security of Lebanon."

Wednesday's move against Hezbollah by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council was the latest salvo in an intensifying battle for regional influence between Gulf heavyweight Saudi Arabia and Iran. Riyadh has been alarmed by the international rehabilitation of Tehran since it reached a deal with major powers last year ending a 13-year standoff over its controversial nuclear program.

Saudi Arabia has also been angered by the military intervention of Hezbollah in neighboring Syria since 2013 in support of Iran-backed President Bashar Al-Assad against rebels it has invested heavily in backing.

Hezbollah fighters have been active against the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda but they have also battled non-jihadist rebel groups supported by the Gulf states and the West. The intensifying battle for influence between the region's main Sunni and Shiite powers has sparked growing concern in Lebanon, which relies heavily on the Gulf states for tourism, investment and as a market for its exports. In January, Riyadh led several Arab countries in cutting diplomatic ties with Tehran after demonstrators burned its embassy and a consulate in protest at its execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. - Agencies