Iran slammed on Saturday Britain’s decision to outlaw the political wing of Lebanon's Hezbollah, describing it as "wrong and irresponsible."
Britain said Monday it would seek to make membership of the Shiite movement or inviting support for it a crime, due to its destabilizing influence in the Middle East, having previously proscribed its external security unit and its military wing.
"Iran considers Hezbollah a legitimate and legal force which plays an effective and undeniable role in helping its country’s political stability and safeguarding its security," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on its website.
"[It] considers the decision to place Hezbollah on a terrorism blacklist to be wrong and irresponsible and one which will not contribute to the stability and security of Lebanon."
"This British measure signifies deliberately ignoring a large part of the Lebanese people and the legitimacy and the legal position of Hezbollah in Lebanon's administrative and political structure," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying.
Britain blacklisted Hezbollah's military wing in 2008 but had until now made no move against its political wing.
However, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Monday that any distinction between its military and political wings "does not exist".
"This (decision) does not change our ongoing commitment to Lebanon, with whom we have a broad and strong relationship," he said.
Tehran is a major supporter of Hezbollah, which on Friday said in a statement that it was a "resistance movement against Israeli occupation."
The British move showed "servile obedience" to the United States, Hezbollah added.
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