Tehran: Iran has declared the naval and air forces of European Union (EU) member states as “terrorist organisations” in response to the bloc’s decision to list part of its armed forces as a terrorist entity, deepening tensions between Tehran and European capitals.
The move follows an EU statement issued on Thursday, February 19, which said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would be placed under the bloc’s counter-terrorism sanctions regime. The measures include freezing funds and other financial assets or economic resources held within member states. The EU also banned individuals and entities operating in the bloc from providing financial or economic support to the organisation.
The 27-member EU also imposed sanctions on 15 Iranian officials, including senior Revolutionary Guard commanders, over what it described as a violent crackdown on protesters.
Iran rejected the decision, calling it unlawful. In a statement issued on Saturday, February 21, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the move violated the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. It stressed that the IRGC is an official component of the country’s armed forces.
Tehran said it had invoked Article 7 of a 2019 law mandating reciprocal action against countries that support the United States designation of the force. Based on this framework, Iran announced that it considers the naval and air forces of all European Union member states as terrorist organisations.
Relations between Iran and several European countries have deteriorated in recent months, with European leaders criticising Tehran’s response to domestic protests and raising broader concerns over regional security. Activists say the crackdown has killed at least 6,373 people.
Videos circulating on social media, including some reportedly transmitted through Starlink satellite connections, appear to show security personnel believed to be affiliated with Revolutionary Guard forces firing at and assaulting protesters.
The IRGC was established after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution to safeguard the political system in Tehran. It operates alongside the regular armed forces and expanded its role during the Iran–Iraq war in the 1980s. The organisation also oversees the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force.
