Iran’s Armed Forces Warn EU Against Repercussions of Blacklisting IRG

By Staff, Agencies

The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces sharply condemned the European Parliament’s “desperate” call for the European Union and its member states to place the elite Islamic Revolution Guard [IRG] on the bloc’s “terror” list, warning about the consequences of such a move for regional and global peace and stability.

In a statement on Thursday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces said the unwise call by the European Parliament is in contravention with all international regulations.

“In addition to being unprecedented in international rules and regulations, the recent move by the European Parliament will affect regional and global security, tranquility and peace, and the European Parliament must be careful about its consequences,” the statement read.

The statement praised the IRG as a “strong and popular” institution and highlighted the significant role of the elite military force in fighting terrorism in the region.

Had it not been for the IRG’s great efforts in the resistance front, under the command of Iran's martyred Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the European countries could have now been under the control of the Daesh terrorist group, it added.

It emphasized that Iran’s Armed Forces, particularly the IRG, would never give up on their role of safeguarding security, national interests and lofty ideals of the Islamic Revolution as well as on continuous confrontations with the terrorists nurtured by the US, Britain and the ‘Israeli’ occupation regime.

“The hostile governments will understand soon that they have made a mistake in their calculations once again,” the statement said.

The measure taken European Parliament’s measure, which is following in the footsteps of the US and the fake ‘Israeli’ occupation regime, showed its unlawful “dual and counter-security approaches” to the world.

The European Parliament’s members on Wednesday backed an amendment added to an annual foreign policy report, calling for “the EU and its member states to include the IRG in the EU’s terror list.”

The hostile measure was passed by a vote of 598 in favor and nine against, with 31 abstentions.

The amendment will urge Brussels to blacklist the IRG military force, the volunteer Basij force, and the IRG’s Quds Force.

It would also target “any economic and financial activity involving businesses and commercial activities related to, owned, wholly or in part, by, or fronting for, the IRG or IRG-affiliated individuals, regardless of their country of operation.”

In a Thursday phone conversation with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the European Parliament shot Europe in the foot by designating the IRG as a terrorist organization.

Amir Abdollahian strongly criticized the European Parliament’s “emotional, injudicious, incorrect and unprofessional” behavior, which is in conflict with political rationality and civility.