EU designates Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organisation

The European Union has agreed to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, marking a major political rebuke of Tehran over its violent suppression of protests. EU foreign ministers reached a unanimous agreement on Thursday (January 29) during talks in Brussels, clearing the way for the formal adoption of the decision in the coming days.

Once enacted, the designation will impose an asset freeze, ban financial support, and restrict travel for all active IRGC members, many of whom are already sanctioned under existing EU measures. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the move was a response to severe repression, stressing that regimes killing their own citizens face inevitable consequences. The decision followed a shift in position by France and Spain, which had previously expressed reservations, while Belgium also moved toward approval. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for an end to executions, the release of political detainees, and the restoration of internet access in Iran.

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He also urged Iranian authorities to allow two French nationals currently sheltering at the French embassy in Tehran to leave the country. The IRGC is accused of directing crackdowns on demonstrators, supplying weapons to Russia, firing missiles at Israel, and supporting armed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen’s Houthi movement. Several countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, have already listed the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Germany and the Netherlands have long pushed for the EU to take the same step. The EU’s terrorism blacklist currently includes 22 organisations, among them Hamas, Hezbollah’s military wing, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

Founded in 1979 in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was created to safeguard the Islamic Republic and suppress potential uprisings. Over time, it has greatly expanded its influence, extending its reach into Iran’s political, economic, and social spheres, and has effectively evolved into a “state within a state.”