The influential Arab League will no longer classify the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militia as a terrorist organization, according to a report by Egypt’s Al-Qahera news channel.
Hossam Zaki, the League’s assistant secretary-general, told the state-controlled outlet in a statement that the revocation of the 2016 designation was because the members felt that the antisemitic jihadist institution "has a major role in Lebanon's future."
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia-based political party and paramilitary force, was founded in 1985 with the help of the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guard Corps during the violent civil war that was raging in the country.
Since then, the faction has grown to become the world’s most powerful non-state actor, claiming a membership of 100,000, an arsenal of 120,000 rockets, and an annual budget of $700 million.
In addition to its prevailing condition, Hezbollah still benefits from the Iran regime’s unwavering support.
Security analysts maintain that its capabilities are comparable to those of a medium-sized army with the ability to operate on the same level as the militaries of the other Arab nations in the region.
Since the October 7 invasion of southern Israel by Hamas terrorists, Hezbollah has engaged in an extended offensive against the Jewish state that has forced Jerusalem to consider a strategic encroachment into the areas where the militants base their operations.
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