The State Department on July 31 released the annual Country Reports on Terrorism, which highlights terrorism that occurs around the world by both state and non-state actors, including Iran and Hizballah.

“Iran is and remains the preeminent state sponsor of terrorism in the world,” Daniel Benjamin, coordinator for counterterrorism, said during a press briefing about the 2011 report.

Benjamin also raised concerns about Iran’s collaboration with Hizballah. “We are increasingly concerned about Iran’s support for terrorism and Hezbollah’s activities as they’ve both stepped up their level of terrorist plotting over the past year and … are engaging in their most active and aggressive campaigns since the 1990s,” he said. “Iran’s use of terrorism as an instrument of policy was exemplified, as you’re all aware, by the involvement of elements of the Iranian Government in the 2011 plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador here in Washington.”

Both American and Israeli officials have accused Iran and Hizballah of being responsible for a string of terrorist attacks and attempted terrorist attacks against Israelis throughout the world, including in Bulgaria, India and Thailand.