PARIS: Iran on Thursday strongly criticized the European Union’s decision to designate its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, calling the move “irresponsible and spite-driven” and warning it could have “destructive consequences.”
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The 27-nation bloc announced the designation in response to the deadly crackdown on mass protests in Iran, alongside visa bans and asset freezes targeting 21 state entities and officials, including the interior minister, prosecutor general, and regional IRGC commanders.
Several countries are presently attempting to avert the eruption of all-out war in our region. None of them are European.
Europe is instead busy fanning the flames. After pursuing ‘snapback’ at the behest of the U.S., it is now making another major strategic mistake by…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) January 29, 2026
🚨 @Europarl_EN just adopted a resolution on Iran supporting the #IranProtests & calling on the @EUCouncil to “proceed without delay with the full designation of the IRGC, including the Basij militia and the Quds Force, as terrorist organisations”
CC: @eucopresident @vonderleyen pic.twitter.com/T5lE7gDTi3
— M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) January 22, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the EU action on X (formerly Twitter), saying it risked escalating regional tensions. “Several countries are presently attempting to avert the eruption of all-out war in our region. Europe is instead busy fanning the flames,” he said. Araghchi also accused key European powers of following U.S. directives after last year’s reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran.
The General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces echoed the criticism, describing the EU decision as “illogical, irresponsible, and spite-driven” and claiming it was taken in alignment with U.S. and Israeli policies.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended the move, calling it “long overdue” and asserting that the Revolutionary Guards’ role in repressing protests warranted the designation. Rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of protesters have been killed, although Iranian authorities report more than 3,000 deaths and claim most casualties were security personnel or bystanders.
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The designation is largely symbolic but sends a clear political signal of European condemnation of Tehran’s handling of domestic unrest. The decision adds to mounting tensions in the region, where Iran is already confronting heightened U.S. military pressure.