Italy Pushes to Blacklist IRGC as Terrorist Organization
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has announced a formal push to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization during this Thursday’s EU summit. The move, praised by Israel’s Gideon Sa’ar, follows a brutal crackdown in Iran and signals a major shift in European policy toward Tehran.
In a major diplomatic blow to the Iranian regime, Italy has officially announced that it will push the European Union to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed on Monday that Italy will place the motion on the EU's agenda during the upcoming meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels this Thursday. The move follows the horrific reports of state-sponsored violence against Iranian civilians during recent nationwide protests.
"The heavy losses suffered by the civilian population during these protests demand a clear response," Tajani stated. "I will propose, in coordination with our partners, to include the IRGC on the list of terrorist organizations and to impose personal sanctions against those responsible for these criminal acts."
The announcement was immediately welcomed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who called the decision both "necessary and moral." Sa’ar has been leading a diplomatic campaign across Europe to isolate the IRGC, recently meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský in Prague to secure additional support.
"The Iranian regime is a massive threat to regional and global stability," Sa'ar noted. "This is the most dangerous and extremist regime in the world, one that funds a network of terror organizations and seeks the world's most dangerous weapon, nuclear arms. This is a grave danger not only to Israel but to the nations of Europe as well."
While the United States designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019, the European Union has historically been more hesitant. However, the sheer scale of the recent "January Massacre," which reports suggest has claimed tens of thousands of lives, appears to have shifted the political landscape in Brussels.
If the motion passes, it would freeze IRGC assets across the EU, ban its members from entering member states, and criminalize any financial dealings with the group or its vast network of subsidiary companies.