Iranian Students Stage Sit-Ins and Protests in Memory of Martyrs of Uprising

Mehdi Hosseini
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Iranian Students Stage Sit-Ins and Protests in Memory of Martyrs of Uprising
On February 1 and 2, a wave of student protests and sit-ins took shape at various universities across Iran. These actions were mainly in response to the widespread killing of young people and protesters during the nationwide January uprising and were held in remembrance of the martyrs of that uprising. Students, who themselves were among the main victims of this repression, raised their voices for justice by boycotting end-of-term exams, holding protest gatherings, and staging sit-ins. Reports indicate that at more than 30 medical sciences universities and other higher education institutions, students refused to take their exams, describing this action as a protest against the “normalization of crime” and the killing of their classmates.

Students Rose Up in Memory of Their Classmates

At the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences (two major public universities in the capital), hundreds of students gathered in recent days to mourn fellow students such as Aida Heidari, a medical student who was killed by direct gunfire. By lighting candles and reading a statement, students turned a canceled official memorial into a protest sit-in and chanted slogans such as “Freedom, freedom” and “Death to the dictator.” Shiraz University of Medical Sciences witnessed a large student gathering and sit-in on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Students protested the execution of physicians, the arrest of medical staff, and the suspicious deaths of two medical students from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, declaring that they would not remain silent in the face of the killing of young people, threats and intimidation against healthcare workers, and the suffocating atmosphere. The gathering continued with chants against Iran’s regime but turned violent following intervention by campus security forces. At Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, students also staged a sit-in in memory of their martyred classmate Parsa Saffar and other victims. Reports also point to a sit-in by nursing and midwifery students at Beheshti University on February 1 and protests at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, attended by more than one thousand people. Students in Ahvaz (Jundishapur University), Zahedan, and Kermanshah also joined by boycotting exams and holding similar gatherings. Azad University (a large nationwide private university network) officially announced that 13 of its students were killed during the protests. The group “United Students” also released an initial list of 15 martyred students, including individuals such as Ahmadreza Ghaderi (Noushirvani University of Babol), Ahmad Khosravani (Sharif University of Technology), Robina Aminian, Zahra Bohlouli-Pour (University of Tehran), and others. These protests reflect the continued anger and demand for justice among the student generation, turning universities into one of the main centers of resistance. With slogans such as “A student may die but will not accept humiliation” and through forthright statements, students emphasized that boycotting exams is not a rejection of learning, but a stand against the humiliation of humanity and the forgetting of crimes.

Nobel Laureates Urge Action Over Iran Crackdown as January Protests Turn Deadly

Hoshang Amiri
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Nobel Laureates Urge Action Over Iran Crackdown as January Protests Turn Deadly
More than 100 Nobel Prize laureates have issued an open letter condemning what they describe as mass human-rights violations in Iran amid the bloodiest phase of nationwide protests since the 1979 revolution, calling on world leaders to take “practical steps” in support of demonstrators. In the January 2026 statement, the signatories express alarm at the “gross and shocking violations of rights of citizens” and use of lethal force against crowds by regime forces. The letter expresses outrage that security forces have shot demonstrators, raided hospitals, and detained wounded protesters, and it argues the unrest reflects deep anger over repression, corruption and rising protesters “use of lethal weapons” has been central to the crackdown. The protests began in late December 2025 as demonstrations over deteriorating economic conditions broadened into anti-government rallies. By early January, Iranian authorities imposed major internet restrictions after unrest intensified, a move that has made independent verification of casualties and arrests difficult. However, it is clear that thousands of protesters have been murdered by the regime. The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) has released the names of around 1,500 civilians killed by the regime, which include many minors.

The letter’s message: support protesters, reject dictatorship

The Nobel laureates’ statement states that the protests are a push for democratic governance, saying demonstrators “reject any dictatorship, whether monarchical or religious” and want a “democratic, pluralistic” republic. It adds that Iranians “deserve the strong and unwavering support of the free world.” The signatories include a mix of Peace Prize winners and laureates in sciences and literature. The open letter warns that Iran’s regime carried out more than 2,200 executions in 2025 and cites an exceptionally high December total.

Khamenei on The January Protests: It Was Like a Coup, But the Coup Was Suppressed

Mehdi Hosseini
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Khamenei on The January Protests: It Was Like a Coup, But the Coup Was Suppressed
Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, in remarks marking the beginning of the regime’s “Fajr” ceremonies, which it uses to mark the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, described the January protest uprising as a “sedition” and a quasi-coup in which trained ringleaders were tasked with carrying out “killing operations.” Khamenei said: “Therefore, they were attacking military and law enforcement centers, carrying out armed attacks with advanced weapons, advanced personal weapons, in order for reactions to come from the other side as well and for a number of people to be killed.” He claimed: “They did not even stop at this. They even struck from behind the same foot soldiers whom they themselves had brought into the field through propaganda. I was informed that among the wounded from that incident, some were attacked from behind; meaning they did not even spare their own people. Why? So that the number of the dead would increase.”
Mass Arrests After Protests in Iran, the Naked Repression of Khamenei’s Rule
Human rights organizations have estimated the number of those killed to be at least in the thousands, and the regime’s narrative of “killing operations” has also faced strong backlash from social media users. If the killing of protesters was not carried out by the government, why was the internet shut down to prevent documentation? If someone else fired the bullets, why do families say they were asked to pay for the bullets in order to receive the bodies of their loved ones? Why are doctors and medical staff arrested for treating the wounded, and what kind of country is this where infiltrating agents can do anything they want in the streets? It is, of course, obvious that the Iranian regime resorts to such tactics to evade responsibility for the bloody January killings. This has also happened in past protests, and the Iranian regime has tried to attribute its own crimes to actors beyond its borders. Khamenei says that the enemy exaggerates the number of those killed: “Well, it is not unlikely for people like these to lie in this way. They present figures ten times, and more than ten times, higher. The enemy’s goal was to disrupt the country’s security.” Khamenei also claimed that many of the ringleaders had been arrested and had confessed to receiving money for their actions and being trained on how to attack centers and gather and mobilize young people. He continued: “But another group of the rioters were emotional youths, with whom we do not have much of a problem.” Amnesty International says that since the start of the new wave of protests, thousands of citizens across Iran have been arbitrarily arrested, a figure that, according to the organization and based on reports by independent media, human rights organizations, and human rights defenders, in fact encompasses tens of thousands of people. Detainees comprise a wide range of social groups, from street protesters and human rights activists to students, journalists, lawyers, healthcare workers, and members of ethnic and religious minorities who have either participated in demonstrations or engaged in activities supporting protesters. The organization says that in many cases, detainees, without access to a lawyer and under intense physical and psychological pressure, were forced to sign forms they were not allowed to read, or to make forced confessions on camera about security-related crimes and even entirely peaceful acts such as sending images of protests to Persian-language media outlets outside the country. Khamenei also referred for the first time to protests by bazaar merchants and, while calling the protesters seditionists, claimed that they hid behind the merchants, who had logical and valid demands and had come into the streets, in order not to be identified. He continued: “Of course, the smart bazaar merchants, upon seeing the actions of the rioters such as attacking police stations instead of moving calmly in the streets, separated themselves from them and left the seditionists alone.”
Explosions Reported Across Iran Amid Rising Tensions
At a time when the country is facing economic collapse and, amid the tangled and confusing nuclear dispute with the West, is being drawn toward the brink of war, Khamenei referred to the United States’ threat of military attack and warned that if a war breaks out, it will be a regional war. Khamenei attributed the nationwide January uprising to the United States and Israel and also cited the threat by Donald Trump, the president of the United States, who warned the government against killing protesters and addressed the Iranian people by saying that “help is on the way,” as proof of the validity of his claim. He also said that this uprising “was like a coup, but the coup was suppressed.”

Mass Arrests After Protests in Iran, the Naked Repression of Khamenei’s Rule

Hoshang Amiri
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Mass Arrests After Protests in Iran, the Naked Repression of Khamenei’s Rule
A wave of mass arrests has swept cities across Iran. The widespread protests last month were met with an unprecedented security response. Following violent street crackdowns, reports indicate the start of a nationwide arrest campaign, which according to multiple sources is aimed at preventing any resurgence of protests.

The start of protests and the spread of unrest

The protests initially began on a limited scale in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. Economic pressure and accumulated social grievances created the conditions for their rapid expansion. The movement quickly spread to other areas and became the most serious challenge to clerical rule in nearly five decades. Protesters’ slogans called for clerics to step down from power, a demand that heightened security sensitivity. Authorities restricted internet access and deployed security forces extensively across the streets. The crackdowns resulted in the killing of thousands. At the same time, a wave of arrests began as the second phase of suppressing the protests.
Latest Developments in the Iran Uprising; Italy Joins Calls for Proscribing IRGC

The mass arrest wave and undisclosed detention centers

Reports from inside Iran indicate extensive activity by plainclothes forces. According to these accounts, security forces arrested thousands of people over several days. Checkpoints increased and streets came under heavy control. Many detainees have been transferred to secret prisons. There is no information about their whereabouts, and the main objective is to instill public fear. These accounts align with statements from lawyers, doctors, eyewitnesses, and even officials of Iran’s regime. According to these sources, the arrest wave is a tool to prevent any renewal of protests.

Arrest of former activists and family members

Security forces of Iran’s regime have not limited arrests to recent protesters. Individuals detained during protests in previous years have been re-arrested, even if they played no role in the latest unrest. In some cases, family members have also been detained. This approach has expanded the scope of arrests in an unprecedented manner.

International reactions and United Nations concern

The UN Human Rights Office said it is aware of the high number of arrests. The body warned that detainees face the risk of torture and unfair trials. The UN special rapporteur on Iran also said that among the thousands detained are doctors and healthcare workers. Two officials from Iran’s regime have also unofficially confirmed that thousands are being held in unofficial detention centers, such as warehouses and temporary facilities. However, official authorities have refused to disclose exact figures or detention locations.

Disappearance of youth and social fear

More than 60% of Iran’s 92 million population is under 30 years old. The disappearance of young people has terrified families. Lawyers report that dozens of families have sought information about their detained children; some of them are under 18. The use of unofficial detention centers and prolonged denial of access to lawyers is a constant feature of arrest waves during periods of unrest.
Explosions Reported Across Iran Amid Rising Tensions

Pressure on medical staff

Doctors told Reuters that security forces removed injured protesters from hospitals. Dozens of physicians have been summoned or arrested, and some have been barred from treating protesters. The World Health Organization has also confirmed damage to medical facilities and injuries to paramedics. This situation reveals new dimensions of the arrest wave. What is unfolding in Iran today is not merely a series of isolated arrests. The arrest wave has become the ruling system’s main instrument for maintaining powerful —an instrument that keeps society suffocated through fear, enforced disappearances, and threats. The experience of the past four decades shows that widespread repression not only fails to resolve crises but deepens the divide between the people and the ruling authorities and lays the groundwork for future social explosions. It should be recalled that due to organized crimes and the brutal suppression of nationwide uprisings, the European Union placed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on its list of terrorist organizations.

The IRGC on the European Union’s Terrorism List; Symbolic or a Real Threat?

Mehdi Hosseini
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The IRGC on the European Union’s Terrorism List; Symbolic or a Real Threat?
The harsh and threatening reactions of officials from Iran’s regime show that placing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful military-security force of the Iranian regime, on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations has deeply angered the regime. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary of Iran’s regime, described the European Union’s move to designate the IRGC as terrorist as “hostile” and warned that it “will not go unanswered.” Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran’s regime, also wrote in a post on X that “Europe is fanning the flames of tensions.”
EU Designates IRGC as Terrorist Organization Amid Escalating Repression in Iran
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced on Thursday, January 29, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, that the IRGC has been officially placed on the European Union’s terrorism list. Thus, the European Union has placed the IRGC alongside groups such as ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Hamas. The main question now is why this decision was made at the same time as Donald Trump’s threats against Iran’s regime, and whether the coincidence of this move with Trump’s threats against Iran is accidental. Europe, which previously—especially during Trump’s first term—did not fully align with the White House, is now moving toward cooperation with the United States’ “maximum pressure” approach toward Iran. Europe’s security concerns, including missile threats and the Iranian regime’s role in the Ukraine war through the delivery of drones to Russia, have been among the main factors behind Brussels’ tougher tone and the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. If tensions escalate and the IRGC is defined as a terrorist group similar to ISIS or al-Qaeda, the United States will have a freer hand to act against Iran, and Europe’s alignment could even pave the way for the formation of a “joint anti-terrorism coalition” against the IRGC. Inside Iran, the IRGC is a major economic power, and intensifying external pressure aimed at paralyzing the country’s economy could lead to increased tensions and internal conflicts within the ruling establishment. The ultimate goal of the pressure is to force Iran’s regime into submission, but Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader, is neither inclined to retreat nor to surrender, and ultimately prioritizes preserving his own image and personal position over the overall interests of the system. It has also been proven in the past that Iran’s regime understands nothing but the language of force; however, the solution for Iran is neither a foreign war nor a deal with this regime. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, has repeatedly emphasized that the ultimate solution lies with the people and their organized resistance, which can provide the final answer to Iran’s regime. The National Council of Resistance first called for the IRGC to be designated as a terrorist organization in the 1980s, but at that time such a terrorism list did not exist in this form.

“Identifying the IRGC’s infiltration networks at the international level”

The inclusion of the IRGC on the European Union’s terrorism list is not a symbolic move; rather, it creates a fundamental change in the legal framework for dealing with this entity and its affiliated networks and shows that the IRGC is not only a threat to the people of Iran but also a direct danger to Europe’s security. Until now, the European Union’s actions were mainly limited to human rights sanctions such as travel bans on certain individuals or asset freezes, but these measures did not allow for criminal prosecution of networks linked to the IRGC. From now on, any individual, entity, or network that cooperates with the IRGC, and any economic, financial, media, or logistical activity associated with it, can be directly subject to criminal prosecution, just as is the case with groups such as ISIS or Hamas.

“The next step could be closing Iran’s embassies”

The European Parliament has stressed that any diplomat who abuses diplomatic immunity for violence or extremist propaganda must have their immunity revoked and be expelled, and it is expected that scrutiny of suspicious centers and the expulsion of diplomats linked to security institutions will increase. Designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization is not the end of the process, but rather the beginning of a new legal and political path that could lead to the prosecution of the IRGC’s financial and front networks, the shutdown of affiliated entities, and the prevention of Iran’s regime agents from exploiting European structures.

Explosions Reported Across Iran Amid Rising Tensions

Sia Rajabi
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Explosions Reported Across Iran Amid Rising Tensions
As the United States has increased its military presence in the region and the likelihood of an imminent war has risen, numerous reports have emerged of several explosions in different parts of Iran on Saturday, January 31. Videos published on social media show columns of smoke rising in the cities of Qom, Parand, and Bandar Abbas. There have also been unconfirmed reports of explosions in Tabriz, Shahriar, and Saveh. In Bandar Abbas, the director general of crisis management for Hormozgan Province reported an explosion in a residential home and announced that the incident has so far left 14 injured and one dead. While official media outlets of Iran’s regime have described the cause of the incident as a “gas explosion,” a citizen journalist has published a video showing that the building where the explosion occurred had no gas piping at all and was not connected to the urban gas network. There have also been reports of internet disruptions following this explosion in Bandar Abbas. At the same time, rumors circulated about the killing of Alireza Tangsiri, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, in the Bandar Abbas explosion, which the IRGC’s public relations office denied. In Parand, the governor of Robat Karim and Parand said the thick smoke observed was caused by a reed fire and that the Parand industrial town had not experienced any incident. In Ahvaz, the fire chief announced that following a gas explosion in a four-unit building in the Kian Shahr neighborhood, four members of a family—including the father, mother, and two children—lost their lives. The source of this explosion has not yet been determined. Claims by officials of Iran’s regime that such incidents are the result of “gas explosions” or “natural fires” are not new. In the past as well, especially during the twelve-day war in which many senior military and political officials of Iran’s regime were killed in similar incidents, the regime frequently cited gas explosions as the cause. Hours after these explosions, Reuters news agency quoted two Israeli officials as saying that Israel had no role in the series of explosions that occurred in Iran on Saturday, January 31. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has in recent weeks repeatedly expressed explicit support for Iranian protesters and warned Iran’s regime and its repressive apparatus against killing protesters, saying that if protesters are executed, the United States will take “very decisive actions.” On Saturday, January 17, in an interview with Politico magazine, he said that the “Ayatollah” is guilty of completely destroying his country and that it is time to look for new leadership in Iran. The United States has sent a massive naval fleet—including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group—and very large quantities of military equipment and hardware to the region.

Iranian Regime Majlis Acknowledges Arrest of Children in January Protests

Jubin Katiraie
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Iranian Regime Majlis Acknowledges Arrest of Children in January Protests
The Education Commission of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (Parliament), while acknowledging that a number of students under the age of 18 were arrested during the crackdown on the January protests, reported that its letter to the Law Enforcement Command regarding killed and detained students has gone unanswered. Alireza Monadi Sefidan, head of the Education Commission of the Iranian regime’s Majlis, told the state-run ILNA news agency on Friday, January 30, that in this letter, in addition to asking about detained students, questions were also raised about the number of students killed and injured, but said, “So far, we have not received any response to this letter.” Farshad Ebrahim-Pour Nourabadi, deputy head of the Education Commission, also said: “What is certain is that among these individuals, there are a number of students under the age of 18.”
Iran’s Regime Pressurizes Families of Martyrs of Recent Protests
Ebrahim-Pour also responded to the recent position of the Ministry of Education, which claimed that “most of the detainees were school dropouts and were only of school age,” saying: “According to the law, all individuals from pre-school age through twelfth grade are considered students.” Despite the lack of any response from the Law Enforcement Command to the Education Commission’s letter, this member of Majlis claimed that “the treatment of students is carried out within the framework that individuals under 18 are subject to their own specific conditions and regulations.” These official statements come as the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations announced on its Telegram channel, in a dossier titled “Empty Desks,” that as of January 30 it had published the names of one hundred students who were killed by Iranian regime agents during the violent January crackdown. The human rights website HRANA announced that as of January 29 it had confirmed the killing of about 6,100 protesters, including at least 118 children under the age of 18, and is still investigating and verifying the identities of more than 17,000 additional reported deaths. On Friday, January 30, the Teachers’ channel wrote that one of these cases concerns “a student named Aso Keykhosravi, a 17-year-old student from Javanrud, who after being arrested by security forces, there has been no news of him for three days, and as of the time of publication, his place of detention and physical and psychological condition remain unknown.” In another case, the channel reported the arrest of Ali Eyvazi, a 16-year-old student from Baghmalek, in the early morning of January 9, “following a raid by more than 60 masked and armed forces on his home,” adding that “this teenager is under interrogation and security agents have pressured him to make forced confessions against some of his relatives.” On January 23, Amnesty International announced that independent sources and information gathered by the organization indicate that the number of detainees has reached “tens of thousands,” including children and teenagers, university students and school students, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and members of ethnic and religious minorities. In one such case, some human rights sources had earlier reported the transfer of “at least 150 women detained in connection with the nationwide protests, a significant portion of whom are female students, to the political ward of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.” These reports come as some citizens in parts of Iran have reported that regime agents were sent to schools to speak with students in order to impose the government’s official narrative of the protests. In the government’s narrative, the January protesters are described as “rioters and street terrorists” who allegedly fired at people and killed about 2,500 individuals. This is while numerous and extensive images and documents have been published showing direct gunfire by regime agents, including with military weapons, and particularly from the rooftops of government and state buildings, targeting civilians.

Iranian Regime Medical Council Confirms Arrest of Doctors After Protests

Hoshang Amiri
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Iranian Regime Medical Council Confirms Arrest of Doctors After Protests
Mohammad Mirkhani, the social and parliamentary deputy of the Iranian regime’s Medical Council Organization, confirmed on Friday, January 30, the arrest of doctors during the January 2026 protests. According to him, no reliable statistics have been obtained regarding the number of detained doctors. Mirkhani said that during the recent protests, “regardless of knowing for what reason and how many,” some doctors were arrested.
Iranian Doctors Arrested En Masse Over Providing Medical Aid to Protesters
The social and parliamentary deputy of the Iranian regime’s Medical Council Organization further explained that most of the information obtained about the arrest of doctors has emerged through conversations with colleagues: “Official and reliable reports and statistics about doctors arrested in incidents that carry security implications are not easily obtained, and most of this information comes from discussions with other colleagues saying that a certain doctor has also been arrested, and we are obliged to verify these reports.” Mirkhani concluded by noting that access to medical treatment is a civic right for all people and that the medical community has always carried out its duties “without a political or social approach.” Earlier, Mohammad Reiszadeh, the head of the Iranian regime’s Medical Council Organization, said on Wednesday, January 28, that “some colleagues and members of the medical community have faced problems, including judicial issues,” but that “so far no verdict has been issued for members of the medical community.” Following the killing of protesters on the nights of Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9, according to reports, a group of doctors and medical staff were arrested in various cities across Iran. The World Health Organization also reported on Friday, January 30, that at least five doctors had been arrested and 50 medical aid workers injured. This comes as, during the protests, regime forces attacked hospital buildings. In at least two cases, Khomeini Hospital in Ilam and Sina Hospital in Tehran were attacked by regime agents. Attacks on hospitals as civilian and medical facilities can be considered “crimes against humanity” under international law.

Russia Has Equipped Iranian Regime Shahed Drones with Starlink

Esmaeil Mohades
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Russia Has Equipped Iranian Regime Shahed Drones with Starlink
According to the assessment of Serhij “Flash” Beskrestnov, a drone expert, the Russian military has, for the first time, used a type of Shahed drone equipped with Starlink terminals during an attack on a Ukrainian helicopter. Due to the installation of this new equipment, these drones can be guided more precisely and strike their targets. The expert published a video on the Telegram social network, apparently circulated on Russian channels, showing a Starlink-equipped Shahed drone attacking a Ukrainian helicopter. After observing a BM-35 drone equipped with a Starlink terminal in mid-January, Beskrestnov stated that this is a major problem for Ukrainians. Drones guided in this way cannot be countered through electronic warfare and, under the control of an operator from Russian territory, hit their targets with full reliability.
U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran’s Drone Supply Network
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based research organization, recently said, citing reports about Molniya-2 drones equipped with Starlink, that the effectiveness of these Russian drones on the battlefield has “increased significantly” thanks to Starlink.

The possibility of using tanks for countermeasures

The Unian news agency, a Ukrainian outlet, quoted aviation expert Valerii Romanenko as saying that the only way to counter Starlink-equipped drones is to destroy them. According to him, a helicopter landing site, like the one seen in the video, must be protected by air defense systems, for example by using Gepard anti-aircraft tanks that Ukraine has received from Germany. As Ukrainian officials have stated, these tanks have shown considerable effectiveness in shooting down Shahed drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles. In his recommendations, Romanenko also raised the idea of disabling Starlink connections, though not completely or by cutting off the internet nationwide, but rather in specific areas. Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Starlink became a key element in Kyiv’s defensive and military activities. Ukraine itself makes extensive use of Starlink communications, which belong to Elon Musk, and is heavily dependent on them. Therefore, a widespread shutdown of these connections cannot be a solution. Starlink has stated that it is not a commercial partner of Moscow. According to Romanenko, Russia gains access to Starlink terminals through third parties, namely individuals or private companies, and therefore cannot deploy them on a very large scale. This is not the first time that concerns have been raised about the danger of equipping Russian drones with Starlink. In September 2024, Ukraine’s air defense reported during defensive operations and the downing of dozens of drones that investigations had revealed the drones were equipped with Starlink antennas. In images of the drone wreckage, the Starlink logo could also be seen on one of the components.

EU Designates IRGC as Terrorist Organization Amid Escalating Repression in Iran

Jubin Katiraie
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0
EU Designates IRGC as Terrorist Organization Amid Escalating Repression in Iran
On January 29, 2026, the European Union took a step unprecedented in its relations with Tehran by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. The decision, adopted unanimously by all 27 EU member states during a meeting of the bloc’s Foreign Affairs Council, placed the IRGC on the EU’s terrorist list alongside groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida. With this move, the EU formally categorized the IRGC not as a conventional military institution, but as an entity engaged in organized violence, repression, and transnational militant activity. The timing of the designation coincided with heightened unrest inside Iran. Nationwide protests that erupted in late December were met with a severe crackdown by Iranian regime security forces, with the IRGC playing a central role. According to information cited by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), thousands of civilians were killed during the suppression of the protests, including dozens of children. The PMOI reported that it had documented the identities of more than 1,000 protesters killed by regime forces during this period.
Latest Developments in the Iran Uprising; Italy Joins Calls for Proscribing IRGC
European officials publicly reacted to the scale of violence. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Wee characterized the regime’s actions against protesters as “bestiality,” while Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen described the events unfolding in Iran as “beyond words.” These statements reflected a shift in tone among EU member states, several of which had previously expressed reservations about formally designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization. France and Spain, both cited as having raised concerns in earlier discussions, indicated a change in position on January 28, clearing the path for unanimity. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas framed the decision in stark terms, stating that “any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise.” Her remarks echoed a growing consensus within European institutions that the IRGC’s domestic and regional conduct could no longer be treated as a conventional security matter. Reactions from Iranian opposition figures underscored the political significance attributed to the decision. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), described the designation as an “urgent response” to the killings of protesters during the uprising. She linked the EU’s action directly to events on the ground, arguing that it reflected recognition of the IRGC’s role in internal repression. Rajavi also called for additional measures, including the closure of Iranian regime embassies, the expulsion of regime diplomats and intelligence agents, and a complete cutoff of financial channels connected to the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence. The IRGC was established in 1979 by regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Shah. From its inception, it was tasked not primarily with national defense, but with safeguarding the newly established clerical system. Khomeini’s assertion that “if the IRGC is gone, the whole country will be lost” reflected the regime’s view of the organization as inseparable from its own survival. Over the decades, the IRGC expanded into a multifaceted force with ground, naval, and aerospace branches, reporting directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Beyond its military role, it developed into a dominant economic actor, controlling or influencing large segments of Iran’s economy. Its involvement in construction, energy, telecommunications, and finance has been widely documented, alongside allegations of systematic corruption and the diversion of national resources. Domestically, the IRGC has been repeatedly linked to violent crackdowns on dissent. The killing of approximately 1,500 protesters during nationwide demonstrations in November 2019 stands as one of the most frequently cited examples. The recent events of early 2026, referenced by European officials in the context of the terrorist designation, added to this record.
The IRGC Affiliate with A 400 million Euro Empire in Europe
Internationally, the IRGC’s Quds Force has played a central role in supporting and directing armed groups across the Middle East. Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthi movement in Yemen are among the organizations cited as recipients of IRGC funding, training, and operational guidance. These activities have positioned the IRGC as a key driver of regional instability from the EU’s perspective. For years, Iranian opposition groups lobbied European institutions to formally recognize the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The NCRI and affiliated groups argued as early as the 1980s that the IRGC was the backbone of the clerical system and that engagement with Tehran without addressing this structure amounted to indirect legitimization. By 2010, these calls became more explicit, urging concrete legal action. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola later acknowledged that such a designation had long been considered politically unachievable. Its adoption now activates a series of legal consequences, including asset freezes, travel bans, and prohibitions on providing financial or material support to the IRGC. These measures are intended to restrict the organization’s ability to operate, fundraise, and maintain networks within Europe. The EU’s decision marks a clear departure from years of cautious diplomacy toward Tehran. By formally labeling the IRGC as a terrorist entity, European governments have placed the regime’s central security institution under the same legal framework applied to non-state militant groups. The move signals not only a response to events inside Iran, but also a reassessment of how the IRGC is understood within the broader international system. Whether this designation leads to further policy shifts remains to be seen. What is clear is that, for the first time, the EU has codified its view of the IRGC in legal terms that reflect the organization’s record of violence at home and abroad. For Iranians facing repression, and for policymakers grappling with Iran’s regional role, the decision represents a turning point whose implications will continue to unfold.
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