Iran has criticised Britain for its decision to list Hezbollah’s political wing as a terrorist organisation, saying on Saturday that it ignored both the will of a large portion of the Lebanese people and the group’s role in fighting Islamic State. Britain said on Monday it planned to ban all wings of Hezbollah, which Washington deems a terrorist organisation because of its influence in the Middle East. London previously only proscribed its external security unit and its military wing. “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,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Qasemi, was quoted as saying by state news agency Irna. Long the most powerful group in Lebanon and backed by Tehran, Hezbollah’s influence has expanded at home and in the region. It controls three of 30 ministries in the government led by Saad Hariri, Lebanon’s western-backed prime minister. “In addition to ... helping preserve Lebanon’s territorial integrity over recent decades, Hezbollah has been one of the pillars of the fight against terrorism and terrorist groups such as Islamic State in the region,” Qasemi said. Iran and Hezbollah are major players in the war in Syria and the fight against militant groups opposed to the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, which include Islamic State. AFP.