Iran Designates EU Naval and Air Forces as Terrorist Organizations

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that it has officially designated the naval and air forces of all European Union member states as terrorist organizations. This declaration is presented as a reciprocal measure in response to the EU's recent decision to list Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity.

The move follows an agreement reached by EU foreign ministers on January 29 to include the IRGC on the bloc's list of terrorist organizations. In its statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the EU's action as a violation of fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

"In a reciprocal action, Iran also considers the naval and air forces of all European Union member states as terrorist organizations," the ministry declared. It emphasized that the IRGC is an official branch of Iran's armed forces.

The statement further defended the IRGC's role, asserting it had been a leading force against terrorist groups like ISIS in Syria and Iraq during the 2010s. The ministry claimed that without the IRGC's leadership, Iraq's capital, Baghdad, might have fallen to ISIS control.

Iran justified its retaliatory designation by citing Article 7 of its 2019 law titled "Countermeasures in Response to the United States’ Designation of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps as a Terrorist Organization." This legislation mandates reciprocal measures against any country that supports or complies with such designations against the IRGC.