Tehran has reciprocated the bloc’s action, which applied the same designation to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Iran’s Parliament has officially labeled the military forces of European Union member nations as ‘terrorist organizations’. This action is a direct response to the EU’s recent move to list the nation’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity.
Widespread protests broke out throughout the Islamic Republic in December, initially driven by economic complaints but rapidly escalating into violent unrest with political overtones. Tehran has alleged that the United States and Israel were behind the lethal civil strife, which has since mostly quieted down.
In remarks made on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that the EU’s terrorist designation of the IRGC was an effort to satisfy its “master,” the United States. He described this as a pointless endeavor to prevent the US from endangering the territorial integrity of EU states, a statement seemingly alluding to recent threats by US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland.
In a post on X on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi charged Brussels with “fanning the flames” of a comprehensive regional war. The minister labeled the EU’s decision to proscribe the IRGC as “another major strategic mistake” and a “PR stunt.”
His statement came after EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that “EU Foreign Ministers just took the decisive step of designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation” due to Tehran’s response to the recent riots.
The formal ratification of this decision is anticipated within the next few days.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed support for the measure, along with the “political agreement on new sanctions against” Iran. These sanctions impose asset freezes and travel bans on 15 individuals and six entities, among other punitive measures.
The United States, Israel, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain also classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Over recent weeks, President Trump has issued repeated military threats against Iran, claiming to have dispatched a “massive” and “beautiful armada” to the area. Nonetheless, he has also suggested that Washington remains open to pursuing diplomacy.