Hezbollah condemns US decision to reinstate Ansar Allah as 'terrorist'
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The Lebanese Resistance group expressed pride in the honorable role played by the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement in supporting Gaza.
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Hezbollah fighters attend the funeral procession of a Hezbollah fighter who was martyred in Israeli shelling, in South Lebanon, Oct. 22, 2023 (AP)
Hezbollah on Saturday condemned the US administration's decision to reinstate the designation of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement as a "foreign terrorist organization."
In a statement, Hezbollah described this designation as unjust, asserting that it constitutes a direct assault on the oppressed Yemeni people, "who have endured and continue to endure a siege, terrorism, and ongoing American aggression against their land and resources for years."
Successive US administrations are the ones worthy of inclusion on terrorism lists, the Lebanese Resistance group stressed, pointing out that these administrations "have practiced and continue to practice terrorism against the peoples of our nation, while supporting the Zionist entity and its terrorist attacks and brutal criminal wars, particularly in Lebanon and Palestine."
Hezbollah affirmed that this US decision, which "aligns with support for the faltering Israeli entity," will not deter Yemen from continuing its support for the Palestinian people and their just cause, nor will it alter Yemen's resolve to confront American and Israeli ambitions in the region.
The group also expressed pride in the honorable role played by the Ansar Allah movement in supporting Gaza, highlighting its significant contribution to strengthening Palestinian Resistance and its partnership in the victory over the Zionist enemy.
Elsewhere, the statement underscored Hezbollah's unwavering confidence that the Yemeni people will continue their path of resilience and resistance.
The White House announced on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reinstate the designation of Ansar Allah as a "foreign terrorist organization."
The designation, originally issued by Trump near the end of his first term, was revoked by former President Joe Biden in 2021. Biden's decision was driven by concerns from humanitarian organizations that the designation would force them to withdraw from Yemen, as they interact with the group, which controls significant territories, including the capital, Sanaa.
However, following the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Yemeni forces began targeting shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in support of the Palestinian people and also declared US and British interests as "legitimate targets" following repeated aggressions on the country.
In response, the Biden administration last year reclassified the group as a "specially designated global terrorist" organization—a less restrictive designation that allowed humanitarian aid to continue flowing into Yemen.
The latest executive order by Trump seeks to reapply the more stringent "foreign terrorist organization" label. The order accuses Ansar Allah of carrying out numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure, including multiple attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia," in addition to firing "more than 300 projectiles fired at Israel since October 2023."
The designation is expected to take several weeks to go into effect.
The White House statement emphasized that under Trump, US policy now focuses on working with regional partners to "eliminate" the capabilities and operations of Ansar Allah, "deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea."
The statement also noted that Trump will direct the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to terminate relationships with entities that have made payments to Ansar Allah or opposed international efforts to counter the group.
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