Lagos, Nigeria – January 30, 2026 – In a landmark and highly symbolic decision, the European Union has formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, placing the powerful elite force on the same list as groups such as al-Qaeda, Islamic State (ISIS), and Hamas. The move, announced on Thursday, January 29, 2026, comes as a direct response to the Iranian regime’s deadly and ongoing crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in late December 2025.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the designation as a “decisive step,” stating on X (formerly Twitter): “Repression cannot go unanswered. EU foreign ministers just took the decisive step of designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.” She emphasized that the IRGC, a major military, economic, and political powerhouse in Iran, would now be treated equivalently to jihadist groups. Kallas added, “Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise.”
The decision required unanimity among the EU’s 27 member states and followed years of internal division. France, previously the last holdout opposing the move, shifted its position on January 28, 2026, enabling the breakthrough. The political agreement was reached during a foreign affairs ministers’ meeting in Brussels, with formal legal adoption of the blacklisting expected in the coming days or weeks.
The designation is largely symbolic but carries significant implications, including potential asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on dealings with the IRGC and its affiliates. It aligns the EU more closely with designations already made by the United States, Canada, Australia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. The move coincides with additional EU sanctions imposed on January 29, targeting 21 Iranian individuals and entities for serious human rights violations and Iran’s military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, including ballistic missile production. Among those sanctioned are Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and several IRGC commanders, senior police, and law enforcement officers.
The EU’s action was prompted by the regime’s violent repression of protests sparked by economic hardship, widespread corruption, and demands for political freedoms. Reports indicate thousands of deaths, mass arrests, unfair trials, executions, inhumane detentions, and systematic targeting of activists, ethnic minorities, and religious communities. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola welcomed the step as a “significant” confrontation of Tehran’s policies, while MEPs and rights advocates called it “long overdue.”
Iran has reacted with strong condemnation. The Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced the EU’s decision as “illegal,” “unjustified,” and a “major strategic mistake,” labeling it hypocritical and politically motivated. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Europe of “selective outrage” and escalating regional tensions. In a statement via state-run IRNA, Iran’s armed forces General Staff called the move “illogical, irresponsible and spiteful,” claiming the IRGC has fought extremist groups like ISIS. Tehran warned of “hazardous consequences” that would “fall directly on the European policymakers,” vowing that its forces are “prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond” to any aggression.
The designation arrives amid heightened global tensions, including US military deployments in the region and President Trump’s warnings to Iran. Analysts note it sends a strong political signal of support for the Iranian people and opposition to transnational repression, though implementation and enforcement will depend on member states.
Clarion Newschannel will continue to track reactions from Tehran, Brussels, Washington, and regional capitals as this development unfolds.
EU Slaps ‘Terrorist’ Label on Iran’s IRGC Over Brutal Protest Crackdowns, Tehran Warns of ‘Hazardous Consequences’
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