The European Union has formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, a major escalation that brings legal consequences across all 27 member states, including asset freezes and the criminalisation of financial or material support.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the move was driven by the IRGC’s role in Iran’s internal crackdown, telling reporters: “If you act as a terrorist, you should also be treated as terrorists.”
Alongside the IRGC listing, the EU also added additional Iranian officials and organisations to its sanctions rolls for alleged involvement in human rights abuses and repression tools, including censorship and disinformation-related activity, according to reports on the package agreed by foreign ministers.
Iran’s foreign minister condemned the decision as a “strategic mistake,” while reporting around the EU move noted it comes amid heightened regional tensions and increased US military activity in the broader Middle East.
Rights groups and media reporting vary widely on the number of people killed in recent unrest and crackdowns in Iran, but the EU move reflects a clear political shift toward treating the IRGC not only as a sanctioned entity but as a terrorist-designated organisation in European law.