WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization:

“I applaud the GCC’s decision to call Hezbollah exactly what it is: a terrorist organization. Thanks to the support of Iran—the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism—Hezbollah has spread instability around the world and poses a serious threat to America’s allies and interests.  Hezbollah has killed more American citizens than any terrorist group aside from Al Qaeda, and its support for the Assad regime has aided in the slaughter of thousands of innocent Syrians.  In Yemen and Iraq, Hezbollah has created serious obstacles to achieving a more stable future, and recent encroachment into Bulgaria and Greece has put the world on notice that no country is beyond the reach of this dangerous group. 

“In Congress, we’ve been clear-eyed about this threat and pushed the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act, which passed the House 423-0 and was signed into law late last year.  I look forward to working with our Gulf allies to cut Hezbollah off from the resources it needs to operate and to diminish the threat that this organization poses.”

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