Iran has issued a warning to Germany one day after Germany officially banned the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and stormed mosques throughout the country to detain terror group members.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi slammed Germany’s decision and praised Hezbollah as a key force in the fight against the ISIS terror group, Iran’s MEHR News Agency reported. Mousavi warned the German government will see “negative consequences” for banning Hezbollah.
“The German government’s decision disrespects the Lebanese government and people because Hezbollah is an official and legitimate part of the country’s government and parliament,” Mousavi said, “and has always been an effective political party in stabilizing the country and is being supported by the Lebanese and regional people.”
Mousavi said European countries have made crucial decisions “without considering realities in the West Asia region” and “paying regard only to the objectives of the propaganda machine of the Zionist regime and the confused US regime,” Mousavi said, referring to Israel and the U.S. respectively.
“The German government’s decision has been also made with utter imprudence against a force that has had and still has a key role in the fight against the violent terrorism of Daesh (ISIS) in the region,” Mousavi said. “The German government, therefore, must be held accountable for the negative consequences of its decision for the fight against the true terrorist groups in the region.”
Hezbollah has already been designated a terror group by the U.S. and Israel. On Thursday, both U.S. and Israeli officials praised the move by the German government.
In December, Germany made the decision to ban all of Hezbollah. Today, they implemented the ban.
The world is a little bit safer. @vonderleyen @EmmanuelMacron https://t.co/p2JWWjusso
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 30, 2020
“It is a very important decision and a valuable and significant step in the global fight against terrorism,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said of Germany’s decision.
In a tweet, Katz also said, “I applaud the German govt for the decision to designate Hezbollah a terror organization.
I applaud the German govt for the decision to designate Hezbollah a terror organization. In my conversations with @HeikoMaas he promised to help & I thank him. I call on other European countries & the EU to do the same. Hezbollah is a terror organization & must be treated as such
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 30, 2020
“I call on other European countries & the EU to do the same. Hezbollah is a terror organization & must be treated as such,” Katz added.
As many as 1,050 people in Germany are part of the Hezbollah group, German security officials estimated.
