The European Union has added Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its terrorist list in response to Tehran's deadly crackdown on protesters in recent weeks.
The bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas stated that EU foreign ministers took the decisive step because repression cannot go unanswered. She emphasized that the classification places the IRGC, a major military and political force in Iran, on the same level as jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Human rights organizations have reported thousands of protesters killed by security forces, including the IRGC, during ongoing unrest in Iran.
France, once hesitant, shifted its stance and supported the push to designate the IRGC as a terrorist group, describing the situation as the most violent repression in Iran's modern history. Meanwhile, Kallas indicated that despite the strict measures, diplomatic channels with Iran could remain open.
The EU's latest actions also include sanctions against six entities and 15 individuals, notably Iran's Interior Minister and Prosecutor General, involved in the suppression of peaceful protests.
Previously classified as a terrorist organization by Australia, Canada, and the United States, the IRGC's name on the EU's list may further isolate the Iranian regime as it grapples with internal dissent.
