The European Union has added Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its terrorist list, following Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protesters in recent weeks.
“Repression cannot go unanswered,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said, adding that the move places the IRGC — a powerful military, economic and political force in Iran — on the same level as groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the decision as a “stunt” and a “major strategic mistake”.
Human rights groups estimate that thousands of protesters were killed by security forces, including the IRGC, during weeks of unrest in December and January.
Speaking in Brussels, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the events as “the most violent repression in Iran’s modern history” and said there could be “no impunity for the crimes committed”.
France had previously been seen as reluctant to support adding the IRGC to the EU’s terrorist list, amid concerns that such a move could end diplomatic engagement with Tehran. However, Paris shifted its position on Wednesday, backing a push led by Italy to blacklist the group.
“Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise,” Kallas said in a brief statement on social media.
She added that diplomatic channels with Iran were still expected to remain open despite the decision.
Alongside the designation, the EU imposed new sanctions on six Iranian entities and 15 individuals. Those targeted include Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi Azad, and presiding judge Iman Afshari.
In a statement, the bloc said those sanctioned were involved in “the violent repression of peaceful protests and the arbitrary arrest of political activists and human rights defenders”.
Groups placed on the EU’s terrorist list are subject to sanctions including asset freezes and travel bans, aimed at dismantling their support networks.
The IRGC was established shortly after Iran’s 1979 revolution to protect the country’s Islamic system. It is estimated to have around 190,000 active personnel, with forces operating across land, air and sea, and it oversees Iran’s strategic weapons programmes.
The organisation also wields influence beyond Iran’s borders by providing funding, weapons, technology and advice to allied governments and armed groups. Domestically, it controls the Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary organisation with hundreds of thousands of members that has played a key role in suppressing dissent.
Australia, Canada and the United States already classify the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, though it has not been formally proscribed in the UK.
On Wednesday, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy condemned Iran’s “brutal oppression of peaceful protesters” but said it was long-standing government policy not to comment on whether a specific organisation was under consideration for proscription.
The EU’s announcement comes amid rising tensions after US President Donald Trump said a “massive armada” was moving quickly towards Iran, warning that “time was running out” for Tehran to negotiate a deal over its nuclear programme.
He threatened that any military action would be “far worse” than previous US strikes if no agreement was reached.
Iran’s foreign minister responded by saying the country’s armed forces were ready “with their fingers on the trigger” to respond immediately to any aggression, accusing Europe of “fanning the flames” instead of working to prevent a wider conflict.
Assessing the scale of the crackdown has been difficult due to an internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed the deaths of more than 6,300 people, including nearly 6,000 protesters. The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights said the final death toll could exceed 25,000.
Iranian authorities have acknowledged more than 3,100 deaths but claim most were security personnel or bystanders attacked by what they described as “rioters”.
Most international media organisations are barred from reporting inside Iran, though verified videos have shown security forces firing live ammunition at crowds.
