Iran has declared the armies of all European Union member states to be “terrorist groups.” The announcement is a direct retaliation for the EU’s decision days earlier to add Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its list of terrorist organizations.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated, “Armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups and the European Union is responsible for the consequences of this decision.” The same spokesperson argued that by targeting the IRGC, which they called a “barrier to the spread of terrorism to Europe,” the EU had acted against its own interests and in “blind obedience” to the United States.
The EU’s move against the IRGC followed a severe crackdown on domestic protests in Iran, which rights organizations estimate led to as many as 30,000 deaths. The IRGC is a major military, political, and economic institution in Iran, controlling the country’s ballistic missile arsenal and answering solely to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s retaliatory declaration comes amid heightened regional tensions, with reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a possible military strike against Iran. The exchange of terrorist designations marks a significant escalation in diplomatic hostilities.