On Wednesday, the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, labeled Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
According to the Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten, it was the first time when Gulf states have collectively stood against Hezbollah which is regarded by Riyadh as an instrument of Shia leadership in Iran.
Saudi Arabia’s goal can be clarified if regarded from a historic perspective, Afghahi pointed out.
According to the analyst, Saudi Arabia is sponsoring numerous terrorist groups in the Middle East, including those fighting in Syria. Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria is aimed at fighting terrorism, as part of a coalition with the Syrian government and Iran.
At the same time, he added, Saudi Arabia is trying to spark a conflict in Lebanon so that Hezbollah has to withdraw its forces from Syria.
"This move is absolutely absurd. Perhaps, Riyadh is trying to regain its positions and compensate political and military losses in the Middle East," Afghahi said.
He added that another possible goal is to damage Iran’s reputation in the region.
"Teheran openly supports Hezbollah and its fight against terrorism. It is also part of an anti-terrorist coordination center including Russia, Syria and Iraq. Iran’s actions are in full compliance with the UN Security Council. Tehran is committed to fighting terrorism," the analyst concluded.
