Iran declares EU troops «terrorists»

Iran labels EU troops «terrorist groups» in response to Brussels' decision

Iran has recognised European Union troops as «terrorist groups» in response to the EU's decision to include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the list of terrorist organisations. This was reported by the Reuters.

What we know

The decision applies to all EU states that supported the initiative to add the IRGC to the terrorist list. This was stated by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

According to him, the European Union is acting «blindly in obedience to the United States» and, by making such a decision, «actually strikes at its own interests».

Possible next steps

In addition, Iran's parliamentary commission on national security and foreign policy will consider the possibility of expelling EU military attaches from the Islamic Republic.

Context.

The European Union's decision on the IRGC was one of the toughest steps in relations between Brussels and Tehran in recent years and further exacerbated tensions between the parties amid the war in the Middle East and the West's sanctions policy.