Britain adds entire Hezbollah movement to terror blacklist and freezes assets

Britain increased the range of its asset-freezing measures against Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah on Thursday to incorporate the entire organization as well as its military wing.

The finance ministry move follows Britain’s resolution last year to classify the whole group a terrorist organization due to its destabilizing force in the Middle East.

The massively armed Shi’ite group was established in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. It is broadly observed as the most influential player in Lebanon and is part of an Iranian-led regional alliance in conflict with U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states.

There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah, which does not acknowledge separate units. Last year, it said Britain’s decision to list it as terrorist showed London’s “servile obedience” to Washington which gives it the same classification.