A Saudi-led bloc of six Gulf Arab nations has formally declared the Lebanese militant group Hizballah as a terrorist organization.
The declaration by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on March 2 increases pressure on the Shi'ite-led Lebanese group that is fighting in Syria's civil war on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
A statement from the GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani on March 2 accused Hizballah of carrying out hostile terrorist activity within the territory of the GCC's member states.
He said that activity has included recruiting militants for terrorist attacks, smuggling weapons and explosives, and inciting disorder and violence.
The terrorist designation applies to Hizballah's militant wing as well as all of its leaders, factions, and affiliates.
The members of the GCC are the Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.