UK expands Hezbollah asset freeze, targets entire organization

Britain’s Treasury said on Friday it designated the
entire Lebanese Hezbollah organization as a terrorist group under its Terrorism
and Terrorist Financing rules, and as such its assets will be frozen.
Previously it was only Hezbollah’s military wing
which was subject to asset freezing under UK government rules.
Hezbollah, a heavily armed group designated as a
terrorist organization by the United States, was established in 1982 by Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and is an important part of a regional
Tehran-led alliance known as “the axis of resistance.”
The Treasury spokesperson said following the annual
review of the existing designation against
the military wing of the Hezbollah , “the decision was taken to
designate the entire organisation under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing Act etc
2010 (TAFA). This brings the designation in line with the Home Office
proscription of the organisation in 2019.”
The existing listing of Hezbollah military wing is
an EU-wide listing, the spokesperson said. “This remains in place and still
applies in the UK.”
“The UK remains committed to the stability of
Lebanon and the region, and we continue to work closely with our Lebanese
partners,” the spokesperson added.