EU lists Iran's Revolutionary Guard as terrorist organisation

The European Union has formally agreed to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, a significant escalation in Western response to Tehran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests, the bloc’s top diplomat announced on Thursday, 29 January. The decision was reached unanimously by EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, following weeks of deliberation among the 27-member bloc.

High representative Kaja Kallas said the move was a direct response to the “brutal repression” carried out by Iranian authorities, which rights groups say has resulted in the deaths of more than 6,300 people. Kallas stressed that “repression cannot go unanswered” and that “any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise”.

The terrorist designation of the IRGC — a powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution — sends a clear political signal from the EU. The decision adds the entire paramilitary organisation to the bloc’s terror blacklist, subjecting it and its members to an asset freeze, travel bans and restrictions on funds and services under EU law. Many senior IRGC commanders and affiliated entities were already subject to EU sanctions for various actions, but the new listing consolidates and expands those restrictions.

France, which had initially resisted the idea of blacklisting the IRGC over concerns for European detainees and diplomatic ties, shifted its position ahead of the vote, paving the way for unanimous approval. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that there could be “no impunity for the crimes committed” against peaceful protesters and urged Iran to release political prisoners, end executions and restore internet access.

In addition to the terrorist listing, the EU sanctioned 15 Iranian officials on Thursday, including top commanders linked to the crackdown, imposing asset freezes and travel bans on individuals considered responsible for violent repression and other abuses. Six Iranian organisations, particularly those involved in digital surveillance and internet censorship, were also sanctioned.

The moves are part of mounting international pressure on Tehran amid escalating tensions in the region. The United States, which has already listed the IRGC as a terrorist group, deployed naval forces to the Middle East amid concerns about further violence and possible mass executions. Tehran has warned of “destructive consequences” if the IRGC is added to the EU’s terrorist list, suggesting potential regional retaliation.

The protests began amid economic hardship and quickly evolved into broader calls for political reform. Independent rights groups such as the Human Rights Activists News Agency have documented thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests since demonstrations erupted, including large numbers of protesters and children. Iranian authorities have disputed these figures, reporting lower fatality counts and characterising many of those killed as “terrorists”.

The EU’s decision places the bloc in closer alignment with other Western countries — including the United States, Canada and Australia — that have already branded the IRGC a terrorist organisation. While significant symbolically, the designation could complicate diplomatic engagement with Iran, though EU officials have indicated they do not intend to sever communications entirely.

As the EU prepares to implement the designation formally, it underscores Europe’s strongest condemnation yet of Tehran’s human rights record, even as political and security tensions in the wider Middle East continue to simmer.

With AP/PTI inputs