Why is the United Kingdom acting against Hezbollah?
The UK puts squeeze on Lebanon’s Hezbollah, adding the entire group, political and military, to its terrorist blacklist.
The United Kingdom has added Lebanon‘s entire Hezbollah movement to its blacklist of what it terms terrorist organisations.
It is freezing Hezbollah’s assets and will prosecute anyone in the UK who continues to have accounts or financial services connected to the group.
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In March 2019, the British government said it could no longer distinguish between the political and the military wings of Hezbollah. But it took until this week to announce it was going after the group’s finances.
The United States has welcomed the decision, saying it has long been seeking such a move from its European allies.
But why now? Is Iran the real target?
And does it complicate an already tense situation in the Middle East?
Presenter: Richelle Carey
Guests
Afzal Ashraf – assistant professor at the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Conflict, Security and Terrorism
Kamel Wazne – expert on Hezbollah and a director at the Center for American Strategic Studies in Beirut
Chris Doyle – director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding.
Published On 18 Jan 2020