AFP, TEHRAN: Iran warned Thursday that its Gulf Arab rivals were jeopardising Lebanon’s stability by blacklisting the leading force behind its government, Hezbollah, as a terror group. Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the Shiite militant group, which is one of Iran’s closest allies, was a bulwark against terrorism in the region. “We are proud of Lebanon’s Hezbollah as the vanguard of resistance against the Zionist regime and the champion of the fight against terrorism in the region,” Abdollahian told Iran’s official IRNA news agency. “Those who call Hezbollah terrorists, have intentionally or unintentionally harmed the unity and security of Lebanon.” Wednesday’s move against Hezbollah by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council was the latest salvo in an intensifying battle for regional influence between Gulf heavyweight Saudi Arabia and Iran.