Tehran Prepares Countermeasures to Europe’s 'Terrorist' Designation of Revolutionary Guard

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami in closed parliamentary session (EPA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami in closed parliamentary session (EPA)
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Tehran Prepares Countermeasures to Europe’s 'Terrorist' Designation of Revolutionary Guard

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami in closed parliamentary session (EPA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami in closed parliamentary session (EPA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian did not rule out his country’s regime retaliating against Europe if it decides to blacklist Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Reciprocal measures that Iran could take include withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

Iran’s top diplomat, however, said that Iran received messages denying Europe wanting to follow through on the terrorist designation.

Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf threatened European armies and said that their members will not be safe in the region.

The Iranian parliament discussed the European Parliament's recent vote on blacklisting the Revolutionary Guard in a closed session attended by Amir-Abdollahian and Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami. President Ibrahim Raisi later joined the session.

Last Thursday, the European Parliament passed a resolution by majority vote, calling on the Iranian authorities to end human rights abuses, the execution of demonstrators, and the suppression of dissent.

The bloc also recommended designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization alongside its foreign operations arm, the Quds Force, and the Basij forces.

Ghalibaf, who is himself a former commander of the Guards air force, added that parliament would “recognize the armies of the European countries... as terrorist groups.”

Alireza Salimi, a member of the Parliament’s presiding board, offered some details about the closed session.

“If Europe commits an unforgivable mistake, Iran will take similar countermeasures,” said Salimi.

“Iran will also declare all European military institutions as terrorists,” he revealed, adding that “from now on, none of the European military institutions in the region will be safe, and even their military advisors will not feel safe in their embassies.”

“The Europeans have sent messages that they do not intend to take such action and requested Iran not to take similar countermeasures. Americans have also sent messages to Iran and requested negotiations,” added Salimi.



Iran's President Says Tehran Has to Deal with Washington

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks to community members, academic figures, tribal sheikhs and officials during his visit, in Basra, Iraq, September 13, 2024. (Reuters)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks to community members, academic figures, tribal sheikhs and officials during his visit, in Basra, Iraq, September 13, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Iran's President Says Tehran Has to Deal with Washington

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks to community members, academic figures, tribal sheikhs and officials during his visit, in Basra, Iraq, September 13, 2024. (Reuters)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks to community members, academic figures, tribal sheikhs and officials during his visit, in Basra, Iraq, September 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran will not be able to ignore its arch-foe the United States and needs to "handle its enemies with forbearance", state media reported on Tuesday, a week after Donald Trump won the US presidential election.

"Whether we like it or not, we will have to deal with the US in the regional and international arenas, so it is better to manage this relation ourselves," Pezeshkian, who is viewed as relatively moderate, said.

"We have to treat our friends with generosity and handle our enemies with forbearance."

In 2018, then-President Trump ditched Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and re-imposed harsh sanctions as part of his "maximum pressure" policy against Iran.

While there have been no reports that the Trump administration plans to hold talks with Tehran after it takes office in January, the President-elect said during his election campaign "I don't want to do damage to Iran but they cannot have nuclear weapons."

Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran to revive the nuclear deal were initiated under the administration of US President Joe Biden, but failed. Iran is still formally part of the deal but has scaled back commitments to honor it due to US sanctions re-imposed on Iran.

Earlier on Tuesday, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Iran will pursue whatever secures its interest, when asked if there could be direct talks with the Trump administration.

She cautioned that the final decision for talks rests with the top political figure Ali Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council.

"The maximum pressure campaign of Trump has failed, even if people have been burdened by it. What is important will be actions and not words, but we recommend Trump to take into account the failure of his past policies," Mohajerani added.