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.
