Iran: World's largest anti-terror institution blacklisted by ‘global club of terrorists’

Iran says the reason the European Parliament wants the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) to be designated as a terrorist organization is that it is infuriated over the force’s leading role in the fight against terrorism.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani said in a tweet on Friday that the Israeli regime is the “largest organized terrorist entity” in the world, with the UK being its founder and the US its biggest sponsor.

“The reason behind the anger of the ‘global club of terrorists’ is crystal clear,” Kan’ani wrote. “The #IRGC is the world’s largest counter-terrorism inst.”

Kan’ani also drew attention to a message by former IRGC Quds Force chief Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in the aftermath of the defeat of the Daesh terrorist group in 2017.

The #apartheid Israeli regime is the world’s largest organized terror entity, the UK regime its founder & the US regime its greatest sponsor. The reason behind the anger of the “global club of terrorists” is crystal clear; the #IRGC is the world’s largest counter-terrorism inst. pic.twitter.com/YZ2ikemSzy

— Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) January 20, 2023

The tweet came two days after the European Parliament adopted an amendment, which was added to an annual foreign policy report, calling on the EU and its member states to include the IRGC on their terror list.

The parliament also passed another resolution on Thursday, calling for more sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities and putting the IRGC on the EU terrorist list over alleged human rights violations during recent riots.

The move has been strongly condemned by Iranian officials, commanders, and the armed forces.

EU’s IRGC blacklisting ‘out of desperation', against UN Charter: Iran's President Raeisi

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‘EU should expect Iran’s reciprocal action’

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf slammed the move as a “miscalculation”, saying it would turn the European Union into the biggest sponsor of terrorism.

“IRGC is a unique counter-terrorism organization in the region and in the world,” he said at a local ceremony in Anzali, Gilan Province, on Thursday night, warning Europe against carrying out Daesh’s wish.

“In case this decision is finalized, the Iranian Parliament will certainly adopt a reciprocal action,” cautioned the top lawmaker.

“We would consider European governments as supporters of terrorism and their troops as terrorists and would treat them in a completely different manner in the region,” he added.

Back in April 2019, the Iranian parliament passed a law designating American forces in West Asia – known as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) – as a terrorist organization. The move came as a countermeasure against the US blacklisting of the IRGC.

Iran’s Armed Forces warn EU against repercussions of blacklisting IRGC

The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has condemned the European Parliament’s “desperate” call for the European Union and its member states to place the elite Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on the bloc’s “terror” list.

Iran Army: EP’s move shows enemies’ grudge

In a statement on Friday, Iran’s Army strongly condemned the illegal move, saying that it exposed the enemies’ grudge against the Islamic establishment in Iran.

“The measure of the European Parliament, which claims to be fighting terrorism, against an anti-terrorist institution is out of their desperation and failure in supporting recent riots in Iran,” read the statement.

The IRGC has an outstanding history of fighting internal and foreign terrorist groups such as Daesh and Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), it said.

The measure, it continued, comes due to “blindly following hostile US policies against the Islamic Revolution” and proves that Europeans submit to the US and “global Zionism.”

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