Now considered terrorists in Iran: soldiers of the German Bundeswehr.Image: keystone
Iran fires back rhetorically: After the EU classified the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group, the Iranian regime is doing the same with the armed forces of the European Union.
02/01/2026, 07:5202/01/2026, 07:57
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf announced this on Sunday in front of the parliament in Tehran, according to the German newspaper Picture reported first.
What exactly the step means and whether it has any effect beyond the symbolism is not clear. Last week, the EU declared the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which is responsible for thousands of deaths in recent civilian protests, a terrorist group.
The decision was also seen as a symbolic step that is expected to have little practical significance due to existing sanctions. Listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization has been discussed in the EU for years.
“Europe wants to satisfy its master, namely America, with these measures,” Ghalibaf said, according to the Iranian news agency Isna. In parliament, MPs wore Revolutionary Guard uniforms in solidarity. Some politicians shouted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” with their fists raised, as can be seen in videos from Iranian media.
In 2019, under President Donald Trump, the United States became the first country in the world to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Shortly afterwards, Iran’s parliament passed a law with countermeasures and possible steps for future classifications, such as those introduced by the EU last week.
The Revolutionary Guards are Iran’s elite force and far superior to the regular army. In recent decades, the force has not only been massively upgraded militarily, but also expanded its social and economic influence – for example through investments in hotel chains and airlines. (sda/dpa/con)