Australia designates Hezbollah a ‘terrorist organization’

Australia designated all of Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a “terrorist organization”, extending its ban on the group’s military wing to the entire organization.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the Iran-backed Shia group “continues to threaten terrorist attacks and provide support to terrorist organizations.”

She added that Hezbollah poses a “real and credible” threat to Australia.

The US has long listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

Meanwhile, Australia had only designated the military wing of the Lebanese Shia group as a terrorist organization since 2003.

Hezbollah was founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight Israeli forces that invaded Lebanon that year.

The Shia group has since grown in power, armed and financed by Tehran.

Hezbollah now holds great influence over Lebanon’s politics.