TBM Report
Iran has officially summoned the ambassadors of European Union member states to protest the bloc’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated on Monday that the summoning is a “preliminary measure,” warning that further retaliatory actions would follow if Brussels continues its “provocative” policies.
The diplomatic standoff intensified after the Iranian Parliament retaliated by designating the armies of European nations as “terrorist groups.”
Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made the announcement during a session where he symbolically wore the IRGC uniform to demonstrate solidarity.
This tit-for-tat move follows the EU’s decision on January 29 to blacklist the IRGC over its alleged role in suppressing domestic protests. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the move as a “strategic blunder,” accusing Europe of “adding fuel to the fire” while regional peace efforts are underway.
The IRGC, an elite paramilitary force established after the 1979 Revolution, is a cornerstone of Iran’s defense apparatus with a combined force of approximately 150,000 personnel.
While the US, Canada, and Australia have already blacklisted the group, the EU’s decision now ramps up pressure on the United Kingdom to follow suit. Experts warn that this escalating friction could dismantle remaining diplomatic channels between Iran and Western powers regarding regional security and nuclear negotiations.
