TEHRAN — Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), has reacted to Germany for designating Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a terrorist group, saying ISIS failed to reach Europe because it was defeated by Resistance groups such as Hezbollah.

“#ISIS did not reach Europe because it was stuck behind the walls of #Resistance,” Shamkhani said. “The mask fell down the face of terrorism supporters.”

Shamkhani reminded Germany of providing materials to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime to build chemical weapons and use them against Iranians and Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s.

Iran’s top security official added that blacklisting is done to please Israel, which has got the title of a “child-killing” regime.

“Sellers of chemical weapons to Saddam have become human rights defenders, fearing of their child-killing friend, called #Hezbollah, terrorist,” Shamkhani said in a tweet on Friday evening.

Germany announced on Thursday it has designated Hezbollah a terror organization, banning all of its activities in the country and ordering raids on sites police say are linked to the group.

The police early on Thursday raided properties belonging to associations linked to Hezbollah in five German cities including Berlin and Dortmund, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Hezbollah’s military arm has long been banned in Germany, though the group had been allowed to pursue political and social activities.

In a statement earlier on Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the move, saying it was in line with objectives of the Zionist regime of Israel and the United States.

“The German government’s decision disrespects the Lebanese government and people because Hezbollah is an official and legitimate part of the country’s government and parliament and has always been an effective political party in stabilizing the country and is being supported by the Lebanese and regional people,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi.

He noted that certain European countries take decisions without considering realities in the West Asia region.

Mousavi noted that the German government must be accountable for the negative consequences of its decision on the fight against the terrorist groups in the region.

MH/PA