The Arab League is considering a move to join the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United States and the European Union in listing Lebanon-based Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
It is a move aimed not only at Hezbollah, but rather at isolating Iran, which is increasing its hold on the region via its proxies.
Arab nations in the region particularly fear Iran’s galloping progress in the nuclear technology field, which the United Nations and world powers failed to restrain.
Bahrain is behind the move. The tiny island kingdom, a member of the GCC and the Arab League, was the first Arab nation to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist entity in March 2013.
Saudi Arabia’s neighbor has struggled since the Arab Spring of 2011 with violence from its Shi’ite population, which was stirred up into a hornet’s nest by outside agitators.
King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa of Bahrain has been the driving force to persuade the Arab League to designate Hezbollah a terror group.
The GCC designation can result in sanctions against businesses and institutions associated with Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
