The European Union has formally added Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to its terrorist list, citing Tehran’s violent crackdown on recent anti-government protests. The decision follows weeks of unrest in which security forces are accused of killing thousands of demonstrators.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the move was necessary to hold Iranian authorities accountable. “Repression cannot go unanswered,” she said, adding that the designation places the IRGC alongside extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Iran strongly criticised the decision. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called it a political stunt and warned it was a serious strategic mistake by the bloc.
Human rights organisations estimate that thousands of protesters were killed during demonstrations in December and January, with the IRGC playing a central role in the crackdown. Speaking in Brussels, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the events as the most violent repression in Iran’s modern history and said those responsible must not escape accountability.
France had earlier been reluctant to support blacklisting the IRGC, concerned it could damage diplomatic relations with Tehran. That position shifted this week, with Paris backing a proposal led by Italy to add the group to the EU’s terrorist list.
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