TEHRAN - Iran on Sunday strongly condemned Britain for listing Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement as a terrorist organization, calling London’s move “wrong and irresponsible”.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the British government’s move comes at a time when Hezbollah has a very large social and popular base in Lebanon.

“Like other parties in the country, Hezbollah has an active and constructive presence in the elections and official activities of the Lebanese government, including municipal elections and trade unions elections,” Qassemi explained, the Foreign Ministry website reported.

Qassemi said Hezbollah currently not only has several seats in the parliament, but also is part of the Lebanese cabinet and has been backed up by a large group of the Lebanese and regional people thanks to its brilliant history of defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon against the Zionist regime’s occupation and aggressions.

“In order to understand the facts, we advise the British government to check the number of Hezbollah’s votes in the recent parliamentary elections and other elections,” Qassemi remarked.

“Hezbollah itself has been a victim of Takfiri and Zionist terrorism. In addition to the positive and effective role it played in preserving the territorial integrity of Lebanon in the past decade, it has been one of the pillars and main elements of the fight against terrorism and terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIS) and their defeat in the region.”

The spokesman said certainly the wrong act of the British government cannot diminish this role and will not affect the will and faith of Hezbollah and its supporters to continue fighting terrorism and Zionism in the region.

Qassemi added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers Hezbollah a legitimate force that plays an effective and undeniable role in contributing to the political stability and security of their country.”

The Foreign Ministry spokesman added, "Tehran believes that putting Hezbollah on the terrorist list is a wrong and irresponsible act that not only does not contribute to the stability and security of Lebanon, but in violation of the international law ignores a large group of people of an independent state and their real representative.”

PA/PA