The u. K. Puts the squeeze on lebanons hezbollah the entire Group Political and military is on the u. K. s terrorist blacklist and all of its assets are now frozen but why now is iran the real target is a complicated already tense situation in the middle east this isnt our story. But im Richelle Carey and welcome to the program the u. K. Has added lebanons entire has movement to its blacklist of what it terms terrorist organizations and now its freezing has assets and will prosecute anyone in the u. K. Who continues to have accounts or Financial Services connected to the group it was in march of last year when the British Government said it could no longer distinguish between the political and the military wings of hezbollah but it took until this week before it announced it was going after the groups finances United States has welcomed the decision saying it had long been seeking such a move from its european allies will get or discussion our guest in a moment 1st lets take a look at what has a lot is has what is a Shia Political Party and an Armed Movement established in 1902 during the lebanese civil war by irans revolutionary guard corps its capture of 2 Israeli Soldiers in 2006 part a 34 day war in which 1200 people were killed the group is seen as a key component of shia majority iran strategy for regional influence often described as a state within a state the group is considered a terrorist organization by many countries including israel australia and the United States. Now lets go to our panel and london. Assistant professor at the university of Nottingham Center for conflict security and terrorism in beirut kemel wisely an expert on has an a director at the center for american strategic studies in beirut also in london chris doyle director of the council for air British Understanding welcome to all of you so as we just mentioned it was actually last year when the British Government said that it no longer thought it was possible to distinguish between the political and military wings of hezbollah so if this an if that announcement was made almost a year ago why are they doing this now all well it seems to be that the treasurys saying its part of their annual review of people on lists associated with terrorism and Financial Issues and i think that may well be true but i think also it is in response to some of the geo political movements in the last few weeks what we do know of course is that Prime Minister johnson has been trying to play it both sides supporting europe on the j. C. P. Issue but at the same time trying to give support to President Trump on his more hawkish approach to iran and so i think this is a welcome move by the americans which i think will help the u. S. Ukase. Image in the u. S. But also at the same time i think it allows the u. K. To continue to side with europe on the possibility of resurrecting the g j s you. Camel what do you make of the timing. Well the timing has to do with a confrontation those taking place in the middle east between the United States and iran and basically between the whole camp of supporter of iran and united state of israel i think its no surprise that is this action has been taken by the British Government on theres some indication in the past that they will do that despite that there were some connection back channels between the British Government their embassy in beirut and hezbollah and as recently as 6 months there was some coordination in and talk between the 2 entities seems today there was a decision by the new government that they want to go all the way and cut this connection between. Hezbollah and British Government chris the same question to you what do you make of the timing. I dont think this timing is that surprising to be quite honest because ever since britain decided to prescribe the entirety of his boller and it wasnt distinguish between the socalled political military wings which was always a little bit of a fudge and any of it and there was obviously going to be the time when we were going to actually freeze their assets and make it illegal to do financial business dealings with his boller i think its the logical follow on from that of course it does come in in the wake of everything that weve seen going on in the in the crisis. With iran which you could chose and many times over the last 6 months when britain and iran specifically have had clashes as well you remember the issue over the the tankers in the summer so i think that this doesnt surprise me very much i think its symbolic more than anything i doubt its going to have much impact on his ball or on the ground that it will actually really shake his ball or up so much i think his boller is far more concerned about events in lebanon events in iraq and iran. Whether the u. K. Government has taken this action and i think theres a theres another aspect to this yes you can say that theres america on one side and iran on the other but you know britain and european powers arent all in bed with donald trump on the issue of iran here and yes britain has made this small step on the issue of his boller but still there is some distance between the key european powers on the issue of the nuclear deal and the United States there is still a much greater desire here in britain to see deescalation to see a revised deal than there appears to be in washington so it would be wrong to sort of start thinking that this is some sort of sign that britain is now fully signed up to the american strategy of maximum ingo maximum pressure on iran i think its probably more of a doing a small thing to try to keep the. White house off their backs the pressure that is being on europe to adopt a maximum pressure structure in iran has been very tense so is throwing a bone to the white house really also lamen to bring that back to you because you started off by saying in some ways that Boris Johnson had been trying to kind of the u. K. Have been kind of trying to play both both sides of it do you agree with what chris is saying that this doesnt necessarily mean that the u. K. Is in lockstep with what the u. S. Is approach to dealing with iran in the nuclear deal. I think in general terms chris is making a valid point my view is that that does not necessarily mean that the europeans have the same level of impact on events that the usa has so even though as he quite rightly describes there is a distance between them on how to deal with iran and the wider issues with hizbollah what i dont think is is is can be implied from that is that that slightly different approach is going to have much impact on the ground at the end of the day the us is so hugely influential both militarily politically and economically the essentially the europeans can say what they like but they have to fall in line more or less with what the usa wants to do and i think that is what were seeing played out in and i think that europe has to think very carefully about how its going to take a different stand in anything other than rhetorical terms kemel might talk about freezing assets hezbollah what are we talking about what assets what amount of money what Financial Impact really is it but basically this is not a real issue for hezbollah because Everybody Knows that his blog a very money directly from iran and the leader of hezbollah are actually declare that anyone of their ceremony so this is a this is basically just to just say that the hezbollah and we probably entities in in the britain they think they can help as well are they going to be prosecuted so financially it doesnt have an effect on urbanization so that a fact they said there has been large enough money to pay their their of their of their membership their are their soldiers even the very broadly elves and lebanon. Cannot afford to pay their. Their or their medicine even the Lebanese Army basically they bathe dollars they pay their salaries in dollars and they have enough money and they know theyve been squeezed lately by that did not really the terror him to continue there and there there are operations in lebanon or throughout the middle east i think that the decision that was taken by the British Government probably is counterproductive in the end it was good in my understanding to have a dialogue back channels between hezbollah and the european weve seen some similar to the british from germany there are some pressure from the United States but even just like 6 months ago when they declare that they can a protest by love in the military wing i think there were some connection between the British Embassy in beirut and hezbollah and said there were 2 then they told them to nor that because the in the end hezbollah fought some battle against. Which is a terrorist organization which actually had a present a major threat against against europe against the United States and we all know that even the president of the United States said they they they they united state any iran forward in the speech that was given just a week ago and we know that hezbollah was able to take the fight to die in lebanon and throughout the region and my asked them it wasnt for hezbollah that would have been and be huge problem for the region and for your band for the United States in the end who did 911 were the same elements that actually hezbollah forward in lebanon and throughout the middle east so thats why a thing. The british were concerned in lebanon to have back trouble because they have important intelligence on the operation and they have experience how to fight crystal let me ask you this and go back to something that you just touched on a bit ago does the ak. Have a point that there is no real distinction between the political and military wings of hezbollah. Hizbullah doesnt really make a distinction between that i think that is one body it was a very convenient ruse that came up with britain decided on this in 2008 European Union and followed it and said much the same in 2013 and it allowed them to have disengagement for example with the parliamentary bloc of hizbollah to talk to them and engage with them whilst declaring some distance from the military activities of the hizbollah and i think that was actually quite sensible in many ways im not really sure that we have gained a huge deal describing the entirety of the organization because whether we like it or not and people have different views his bowler is a major force within lebanon and also within the region is highly active of course in syria and you know its i think its you know a good idea to have these back channels agree with that that said his pollo are also is very problematic i dont think one should. Step away from that i think that its actions in in syria. Yes on occasions its fought dosh but its also served to create the vet create the very conditions in which dash can actually flourish by weakening the lebanese state that means that the armed forces of lebanon arent actually Strong Enough in themselves to to handle this has to be a nonstate actor by also its participation in syria and the way that it back to the asset a regime that added an extra sectarian element to this conflict but also an external won it. Also meant that other parties also felt encouraged to come into to the syrian conflict and overall we are seeing across the region i think an alarming rise in situations in countries where external powers external bodies external nonstate actors. Are increasingly participating in wars in those countries and the protests weve seen in lebanon in iraq and indeed elsewhere demonstrate that actually the and have to answer those countries are fed up with this they want an end to foreign interference they want these these groups to go back to their countries and. Be out of their affairs so lets not try to pretend that hezbollah has some great record in the region if it doesnt. And cares about your thoughts on that obviously has well it is a huge presence and lebanon so that leads to a whole new discussion on that i guess my 1st question about this is how is lebanon. How much support do they have of the people in lebanon and has a particularly considering what the country is going through right now and there they are fed up with a lot of things thats why theyre protesting. Yes indeed but i think we need to do a little bit of color to that youre absolutely right with the protesters that we see out there are the ones d that have enough food in their bell as to be able to go and protest there are many people in lebanon who can barely eat a large part of the lebanese population comprises refugees some of them are reportedly stealing food from livestock because they dont have it. Lebanon has always been a fractured country hizbollah has been both a source of stability and instability at the same time its had one of the largest cities or rather it comprises one of the largest blocs it within lebanese politics at the moment so we have a very complicated and somewhat unstable situation in lebanon at the moment and we know from history of the 1980 s. And so on lebanon can very easily tip into. A situation of major instability which will have consequences beyond that country beyond the region as weve seen in recent years into your 3 migration and refugees and so on so its a potentially serious situation for the europeans on an on a related note why does this. Freezing of assets why does this. If you like declaring of hizbollah as a terrorist organization both politically and militarily what does that count for one of the main major impacts could be is that it gives added legitimacy if you if i might use that word in terms of the americans should they wish to assassinate hizbollah leadership we know that President Trump mistakenly thought that the person who was assassinated along with general solomon he was the hizbullah leader and us ruler and it may well be that that is in the back of his mind so i think there could be far more dangerous consequences nefarious consequences of this if you like administrative action which might add to the legitimacy of assassination of his below leaders making the situation even more volatile and unstable kemah i really like her your thoughts on that about what are some are saying that perhaps there the u. S. Has a Long Term Plan for where they are going with this could this be something potentially that they have in mind. Well the they if they us the assassinated they mad money which was the leader were always the military leader of hezbollah and they asked us and they did other individual in lebanon and this is not a new this is expected and i think not so low as and the target of the day of the israeli and the american but they i think this is played a different. Calculation in the mind of their israeli and american and they know that any any at to target sadness or lower will have a different reaction and consequences for for for their region i think they theyre there and then tension of american the israeli has to corner as well are because hezbollah was actually created during the invasion of after the invasion of israel in in 82 not during the civil war it was actually when israel invaded lebanon in 82 and was a created as a reaction to them vision and became a mighty power and it was able to drive israeli from lebanon to the border i think a very there are various of course theres really feel that its just threatened by the hezbollah but in the end all saw the hezbollah after the war of 2006 a plate a deterrent forests in lebanon the sense that they up to now we didnt have any any any confrontation between lebanon and and israel because as you might know and your york my colleagues on the other side they know that there that the army cannot really put a fight with the israeli and theres very for a very long time they they actually made ally incursion against lebanon the one who started that incursion was deterrence for the lebanon has and hezbollah is a Major Political power in lebanon its now. Like theyre like 10 people and you can deport them there are very very theyre a political entity they have power they have organization they have an institution they have number of of the member in the parliament in the cabinet there they are the one who actually put some time they put their persuasion to have a cabinet in the country and there is a well a larger group in lebanon theyre grateful to them because they drove the israeli out of lebanon so today also hezbollah play a major role in driving. Out of out of lebanon because of there were on the border of lebanon and they fought a war in syria and iraq to defeat die in the other hand has is not really a threat against against Great Britain or the United States it is a strat against israel but in the end israel the one who invaded lebanon not lebanon invaded israel so as as you all hit have said this is really it eventually always comes back to iran so chris what does this say to you about what the u. S. Is strategy is with with iran what is it that they really want from iran. Thats a very good question and i think everybody asks what is the u. S. Strategy because we have a u. S. President who seems to announce traction on twitter in a pretty much unique way of policy making and nobody really quite expected that he was going to order that assassination across some sort of money at the timing that he did and it doesnt seem to have been any real announcements of any additional strategy on iran i think what we can sort of piece together is that the United States will keep up its maximum pressure strategy on iran that it will continue to put pressure on the european powers to adopt that stretches well so expect plenty of american pressure on germ. Me on france on other countries to do what you know britain has just done but also i think from the u. S. Perspective directly on iran i mean i think its one thing on his bollard but the really big prize it is iran itself and i think thats really what you saw with the assassination of the money is the United States states of sort of said you know the gloves are off and were not going to deal with these proxies except its iran that is in our sights and thats where it wants to drag the other countries to being on the exactly the same hymn sheet the same page as them which they are not at the moment now all of this risks of course a major conflict in the region and i think perhaps the good news is that both iran and the United States and indeed other regional powers peered over the cliff edge and saw what a conflict might look like and you know all understood that frankly that wasnt in their interests so if they dont want to conflict at some stage theres got to be some talks theres got to be a negotiation who mediates that we get to that thats the big question but dont count out this president from actually hes so. Different that there could be a meeting between the 2 president s in the months ahead because this is how donald trump likes to do things he likes the deal he likes to be in the limelight so rouhani truck meeting could happen. So as christians said it seemed that everyone can or can at peered over the edge and decided that that they did not want the war so what is it that they want. Well i think. As far as the iranians are concern of course they have shown in inclination to be able to return to a situation where they can develop their country the countrys in a very bad state its not able to. Provide for its own people so i think that is primarily what they want they want of course the preservation of the theocratic regime so those 2 things which are mutually supportive is i think where ron is coming from what i think the the americans want is very much more difficult to evaluate because during the Bush Administration in my opinion and its only an opinion based on observation. U. S. Foreign policy was hijacked by a small cabal of extremists who were influenced by external. Interests now what were seeing i believe is external interests countries outside america who have learnt to predict the unpredictability of President Trump and i think they are now manipulating things so that theyre getting what they want and that is maximum pressure on iran they want the arraignment regime to topple they want regime change and what they ideally would have wanted and i think theyve sort of given up on the idea is a war against iran in terms of boots on the ground but they recognize that the next best option is. A tax is a missile attacks which could seriously destroy irans infrastructure and its capability and then put even more pressure on the Iranian Regime so i think that chris has made an eloquent case for negotiations the problem of course is what conditions are necessary for those negotiations to take place at the moment certainly on both sides the. They dont feel ready the conditions about enough for them to negotiate a peaceful settlement are and that will have to be the final word thank you gentlemen all 3 of the for the conversation also ostroff comma was me and chris doyle thank you very much and thank you for watching you can see the program again any time if you get our website aljazeera dot com for the discussion our Facebook Page facebook dot com forward slash a. J. Inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter or handle as at a. J. Inside story for me or shall carry in the entire team for now. An escape from severe hardship on to the world stage as a Paralympic Champion will be i want to say for now though for the 1500 meters and the bronze or the 800. 00 and the desire to Work Overseas i went knocking on doors looking at a job and was interested in immunology studies that led to International Recognition as a Global Leader in the generative medicine to inspiring journeys of human endeavor arabs abroad the paralympian and the burn maker on aljazeera in a 2 part series. Is iraq observes the lives of 2 children. Over 20 years. Where insights into circumstances that shape lives. In a rapidly changing world. 20 years of mean continues with good morning groups in young on aljazeera. Understand the differences and similarities of cultures across the world is another matter weighing in well bring you the news and Current Affairs that matter to you. Im kim bell in doha the top stories on aljazeera Lebanese Police have turned a water cannon and tear gas on protesters demanding a resolution to the economic crisis all than 200 people have been injured in beirut. Libyan warlord leave and the leader all of its un recognized government have arrived and then ahead of a highly anticipated peace conference its up to progress will be made in the german capital that would lead to a ceasefire in the conflicts meanwhile forces loyal to offguard have attacked 5 eastern oil ports in libya the state oil has closed down the sons as expect