Hezbollah, the main political and military force in Lebanon, denounced on Wednesday Australia's decision to classify it as a "
terrorist organization
", accusing the country of having "
complied with American and Zionist diktats
".
The Australian government has announced that it has extended this classification to all pro-Iranian Shiite Hezbollah, which until then only applied to its armed wing.
The United States and Israel also refer to Hezbollah as a “
terrorist group
”.
Other countries refuse to sanction the political wing of the group, fearing that this will hamper their relations with the Lebanese authorities or destabilize the country.
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In a statement, Hezbollah "
strongly denounced the decision of the Australian authorities
", considering that it constituted "
a humiliating submission to American and Zionist diktats
" and that it "
served Israeli interests
".
Created and financed by Iran, Hezbollah is the only Lebanese faction to have kept its weapons at the end of the civil war (1975-1990) in the name of "
resistance
" to Israel.
"
The (Australian) decision and those that preceded it will not affect Hezbollah's position and its right to resistance,
" the statement added.