U.S. 'Very Pleased' with British Blacklisting of Hizbullah

Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative for Iran, said Friday that the United States was "very pleased" with the UK’s decision to add the entire Hizbullah group to its list of terrorist organizations subject to asset freezing, adding that Washington had long been seeking such a move from European allies.

"We would like to congratulate the United Kingdom," he told reporters in Washington. "There is no distinction between Hizbullah's political arm and its military arm," Hook added.

Britain's finance ministry previously only targeted Hizbullah’s military wing but has now listed the whole group after the British government designated it a terrorist organization last March.

The change requires any individual or institution in Britain with accounts or financial services connected to Hizbullah to suspend them or face prosecution.

The group had "publicly denied a distinction between its military and political wings," the British Treasury said in a notice posted on its website.

"The group in its entirety is assessed to be concerned in terrorism and was proscribed as a terrorist organization in the UK in March 2019," it added.

"This listing includes the Military Wing, the Jihad Council and all units reporting to it, including the External Security Organization," it said.