Iran slams ‘Zionist’ EU blacklisting of Hezbollah military wing

Iran on Tuesday denounced the European Union for its decision to blacklist Hezbollah’s armed wing as a terror group, Iranian media reported Tuesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi accused the EU’s move of acting in Israel’s interests,

Iran “strongly denounces the (EU) decision... and believes (it) is in line with the illegitimate interests of the Zionist regime,” Salehi said, according to AFP news agency, citing official media.

“The European Union, due to lack of correct judgement about the regional crisis, took this wrong decision,” Salehi said.

The action, he added, is “against the Lebanese people since Hezbollah has put up a legitimate defence against the Zionists’ aggressions,” he added.

Iran and Hezbollah are both sworn enemies of Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group has received Tehran’s moral, financial and military support since its inception.

Salehi’s comments come after the EU on Monday put Hezbollah’s military wing on its of terrorist organizations, a move the Lebanese Shiite movement slammed as aggressive and unjust.

EU foreign ministers had been working for months to blacklist Hezbollah, after the group was accused of involvement in last year’s attack on an Israeli tourist bus in Bulgaria.

Hezbollah has denied involvement in the incident.

The decision to put its military wing on the EU list of terrorist groups required approval by all 28 member states.

However, some fear that such a move will destabilize Lebanon further.

The United States applauded the EU’s designation of Hezbollah as terrorist group.

Hezbollah has been already blacklisted in several countries, including the United States, Israel, Canada and Australia.