Iran condemns Germany’s ban on Hezbollah activity

Iran has condemned Berlin’s ban of Hezbollah activity in Germany and its designation of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group as a terrorist organisation, saying the move serves U.S. and Israeli interests, Iranian state media reported on Friday.

“It appears that certain countries in Europe are adopting their stances without considering the realities in the West Asia region and by paying regard only to the objectives of the propaganda machine of the Zionist regime and the confused U.S. regime,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi said in a statement late on Thursday.

He criticised the German government for accusing Hezbollah “of promoting armed struggle with terrorist means.” He said the group was “an official and legitimate” member of the Lebanese government and parliament and a force of “political stability.”

German police on Thursday raided mosque associations alleged to be close to Hezbollah and banned all the group’s activity on its soil after designating it a terrorist organisation, a much-anticipated step long urged by Israel and the United States.