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Chaos in Middle East: Does Saudi Arabia Seek to Expand War to Lebanon?

© Sputnik / Kirill Kallinikov / Go to the mediabankForeign Affairs Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir
Foreign Affairs Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir - Sputnik International
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Saudi Arabia is planning to further destabilize the Middle Eastern region and expand the war to Lebanon, German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (DWN) wrote.

Supported by the US and Germany, Saudi Arabia recently declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization and urged all Saudi citizens to leave Lebanon.

In the struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the government in Riyadh has achieved a diplomatic success. On Wednesday, the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman labeled the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah a "terrorist organization", DWN wrote.

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According to the newspaper, this is the first time when Gulf monarchies have collectively stood against Hezbollah, which is regarded by Sunni Saudi Arabia as an instrument of the Shia leadership in Iran. The move means that Saudi leaders want to further destabilize the Middle Eastern region and plunge Lebanon into chaos, the article said.

"The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council have decided to classify Hezbollah militias and all their leaders, sub-groups and associations as a terrorist organization," Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdellatif al Zayani said earlier.

According to DWN, such decision could have very painful consequences for Lebanon, especially taken into account the fact, that Riyadh has called on all Saudi Arabian citizens to leave the country and stopped the billion-euro-funding of Lebanese arms projects.

"Lebanon that has been suffering for decades may face a massive disaster: the country has accepted millions of refugees in recent years, despite the fact that it was severely affected by hegemonic wars partly caused by the West," DWN wrote.

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Hezbollah, established in the 1980s, is a paramilitary and political organization originating from Lebanon's Shiite population. The group's primary goal was military opposition to Israel's occupation of the country.

Aside from the GCC, Hezbollah Shia Muslim movement is, partially or entirely, considered a terrorist organization by a number of countries including the United States, Israel and the European Union.

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