The Council of the European Union has agreed to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) as a "terrorist organization". "The EU Foreign Ministers have just taken the decisive step of designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Any regime that kills thousands of its own citizens is actually working towards its own disappearance," confirmed the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, this Wednesday.
"Terrorist is indeed the term that should be used for a regime that crushes its own people's protests in blood. Europe stands with the people of Iran in their brave fight for freedom," added the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on her social media.
Brussels has also decided to sanction a total of six entities and 15 individuals from the country, including the Minister of Interior and head of the National Security Council of Iran, Eskandar Momeni, and the Attorney General, Mohammad Movahedi Azad.
Also, Judge Iman Afshari and several commanders of the Revolutionary Guard are among those sanctioned, as well as different high-ranking police officers. "All of them," concludes the Council, "participated in the violent repression of peaceful protests and the arbitrary detention of political activists and human rights defenders."
"The decision taken today is a strong political signal. With this, we show as the EU: we see what is happening in Iran. We stand with the Iranian people. We defend humanity and oppose repression," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul valued almost instantly after the decision was made public.
"The next step now is the swift implementation for the listing to have legal force. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their auxiliary forces are the henchmen of the Iranian regime. They are the ones acting with immeasurable brutality against their own population, those who have practically executed their own citizens for daring to raise their voices in the streets," he added. Germany's promptness and decisiveness are crucial given the country's proximity to Israel, a nation that in turn has a very complicated relationship with Iran. Both nations even had an armed confrontation last year.
And precisely from Israel, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has also welcomed and even claimed as their own the EU's decision. "I welcome the decision of the EU Foreign Ministers to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. This is an important and historic decision. For years, and with even greater intensity in recent weeks, Israel has worked to achieve this outcome," he noted.
"The designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization will hinder and criminalize its activities in Europe. It will be a severe blow to an organization that controls a huge part of the Iranian regime's economy and sends an important message to the brave men and women of Iran fighting for their freedom," Saar added.