Iran declares European armies ‘terrorist groups’

Iran has designated the armies of European countries as “terrorist groups” in retaliation for the European Union’s decision to apply the same label to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the speaker of Iran’s parliament has said.

Speaking on Sunday, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf condemned what he described as the bloc’s “irresponsible action”, stating that under “Article 7 of the Law on Countermeasures Against the Declaration of the IRGC as a Terrorist Organisation, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups”.

During the legislative session, lawmakers wore the green uniform of the Guards in a show of solidarity and chanted “Death to America”, “Death to Israel,” and “Shame on you, Europe”, according to footage broadcast on state television.

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It was not immediately clear what practical consequences the declaration would have. The law cited by Ghalibaf was originally passed in 2019 after the United States classified the Guards as a terrorist organisation.

Sunday’s session coincided with the 47th anniversary of the return from exile of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic in 1979.

The IRGC serves as the ideological arm of Iran’s military and is responsible for protecting the Islamic revolution from both internal and external threats. Western governments have accused the group of coordinating a violent crackdown on recent protests, which reportedly left thousands dead.

Iranian authorities, however, have blamed the unrest on “terrorist acts” instigated by the United States and Israel.

The European Union agreed on Thursday to list the IRGC as a “terrorist organisation” over its response to the protests, aligning its position with similar designations by the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Ghalibaf said the EU’s move, “which was carried out in compliance with the orders of the American president and the leaders of the Zionist regime, accelerated Europe’s path to becoming irrelevant in the future world order”, adding that the decision had only strengthened domestic backing for the Guards.

The parliamentary session took place amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, with both sides exchanging warnings and threats of possible military action.

(AFP)