EU to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard as terrorists, Germany warns of rapid action

The European Union (EU) moved Thursday to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arsenic a violent organization, with Germany pledging to crook the determination into a legally binding listing arsenic accelerated arsenic possible.

The determination besides came alongside a caller circular of EU sanctions targeting Iranian officials and entities amid the convulsive crackdown connected protests and wide killings that person swept crossed the state since Dec. 28.

Tehran’s subject enactment for Russia was besides included successful the measures.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the designation and the sanctions bundle Thursday.

ARMED MILITIAS FIRE HEAVY MACHINE GUNS THROUGH TEHRAN STREETS IN DEADLY NIGHT ATTACKS

EU Commission vice-president, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas (L) and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (R) speech to the media. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

"I invited the governmental statement connected caller sanctions against the murderous Iranian regime," von der Leyen wrote successful a station connected X. "And connected the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps arsenic a violent organization. This was agelong overdue."

She added: "‘Terrorist’ is so however you telephone a authorities that crushes its ain people’s protests successful blood. Europe stands with the radical of Iran successful their brave combat for freedom."

Meanwhile, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the EU would determination rapidly to instrumentality the designation, calling it a beardown governmental awesome that reflected the standard of repression wrong Iran.

"The adjacent measurement volition beryllium the accelerated implementation towards a legally binding listing," Wadephul warned, adding that the EU stood "side by broadside with the Iranian people" against repression.

Wadephul accused the IRGC and its auxiliary forces of gathering protesters with utmost violence, carrying retired executions, and having a destabilizing relation crossed the Middle East.

As of Thursday, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported 6,373 confirmed fatalities, with an further 17,091 deaths nether review.

IRANIAN REGIME ELITES ALLEGEDLY MOVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OUT OF COUNTRY AMID SANCTIONS

Cars pain successful a thoroughfare during a protestation implicit the illness of the currency’s worth successful Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

The enactment besides cited continued connection restrictions, constricted net restoration, and ongoing economical and societal fallout, saying arrests and information unit had entered what it described arsenic a "post-crackdown phase."

According to Reuters, EU overseas ministers besides approved caller quality rights sanctions targeting Iranian "individuals and entities" linked to the suppression of protests.

Those sanctioned see Iran’s interior minister, elder IRGC commanders, constabulary chiefs, judges from revolutionary courts, and cyber officials progressive successful censorship and surveillance.

Some volition besides beryllium sanctioned for "providing support" to Russia, Reuters noted.

LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE 'ANY MEANS NECESSARY' TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS

The EU designates Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps arsenic a violent enactment arsenic Ursula von der Leyen pledges accelerated implementation pursuing a convulsive crackdown. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The U.S. designated the IRGC arsenic a Foreign Terrorist Organization successful April 2019. Canada followed successful June 2024. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia person besides designated the IRGC arsenic a violent group.

Advocacy radical United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) welcomed the EU’s determination and urged swift implementation, calling connected the U.K. to travel suit.

"UANI applauds the EU for announcing its volition to designate the IRGC, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army, arsenic the terrorists that they are," the radical said successful a statement."We present impulse the United Kingdom to proscribe the IRGC, pursuing the pb of the EU, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The IRGC indispensable beryllium denied the quality to run with impunity abroad."

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Reacting to the news, Iran’s parliament talker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized the EU's designation.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is 1 of the strongest and astir effectual anti-terrorism forces successful the world; lone those who basal connected the broadside of the terrorists themselves could contradict the IRGC's grounds successful the combat against ISIS terrorism," helium said successful a station connected X.