Gulf Arab Nations Declare Hezbollah a Terrorist Organization

The Gulf Arab nations have officially declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

The Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council's move puts pressure on Hezbollah as it continues to fight for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the civil war.

"As the militia continues its terrorist practices, the GCC states have decided to label it a terrorist organization and will take the necessary measures to implement its decision in this regard based on anti-terrorism laws applied in the GCC and similar international laws," GCC Secretary General Gen. Abdullatif al-Zayani said in a statement from Riyadh, Asharq al-Awsat reported.

According to the report, the GCC's decision came just one day after Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of pushing Lebanon to a new political conflict by cutting its military funding.

The council also told Lebanese civilians to flee the area because the terror group poses a "threat to Arab national security."

The move reflects a deeper divide between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, which sponsors Hezbollah.

The two nations cut diplomatic ties earlier this year after Iranian demonstrators burned down the Saudi Arabian embassy following the Saudis' execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates comprise the GCC.