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IRGC: EU’s blacklisting of elite force lacks legal, political legitimacy
Iran designates European armies ‘terrorist groups’ in tit-for-tat move
The IRGC in a statement on Sunday said such actions not only fail to contribute to regional peace and security but complicate "the path to constructive interaction and cooperation.”
It also lashed out at the EU for aligning with US interventionist policies while ignoring the destabilizing role of regional actors, particularly the Israeli regime.
The statement added that such measures would not affect the IRGC’s resolve but instead strengthen national unity and its determination to protect Iran’s interests and security.
On Thursday, the European bloc added the IRGC to its terrorist list in response to the force’s role in the Islamic Republic’s response to recent riots in the country, which were triggered by protests over economic problems on December 28.
According to Iranian officials, more than 3,100 people, including security forces and ordinary people, have been killed in the protests.
During an open session of Parliament on Sunday, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Iran considers European countries’ armies as terrorist groups in a counter-measure against the EU.
“The IRGC is the world’s most unique anti-terrorism institution, which, with the help of the people of the region, brought down the Daesh rule and eliminated the global threat of the terror outfit,” he said.
“The enmities of the world’s terror supporters will not diminish the IRGC’s power. I announce that under Article 7 of the law on reciprocal action against the [US’s] declaration of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups, and the EU bears responsibility for the consequences of this action.”
He added that the 27-member bloc’s decision, which was taken “in compliance with the orders of the US president and the leaders of the Israeli regime, accelerated Europe’s path to becoming irrelevant in the future world order.”
Qalibaf said the national security parliamentary commission would deliberate on the expulsion of EU countries' military attaches and follow up on the issue with the foreign ministry.
The IRGC was first proscribed by the US in 2019 during US President Donald Trump’s first term, by Canada in 2024, and by Australia in 2025.