Iran Designates EU Armies ‘Terrorist Groups’ After EU Bans IRGC

Iran considers EU armies as “terrorist groups” following its designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said this on Sunday, highlighting that by targeting the IRGC, the European Union inadvertently harmed itself.

On Thursday, the EU designated the IRGC as a terrorist group in response to what Iran saw as its harshest crackdown since 1979 following protests.

Qalibaf argued: “By attempting to strike at the Revolutionary Guards, the Europeans shot themselves in the foot and once again put their people’s interests second by blindly following American directives.”

Article 7 of the law on countermeasures against IRGC designation states that armies from European countries are also considered terrorist groups. Qalibaf announced that the national security parliamentary commission would discuss expelling EU military attaches and would monitor the situation with the foreign ministry.

Established after Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 to safeguard the clerical regime, the Revolutionary Guards wield considerable influence over Iran’s economy and armed forces.