The European Union has formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, subjecting the powerful military body to restrictive measures under the bloc’s counterterrorism sanctions regime.
The decision follows a political agreement reached by the EU Foreign Affairs Council on January 29 and was formally adopted by the Council on Thursday.
“Following the political agreement reached by the Foreign Affairs Council on 29 January, the Council formally decided today to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran to the EU terrorist list,” the Council said in a statement.
With its inclusion on the so-called EU terrorist list, the IRGC will face an asset freeze across EU member states. The measures also prohibit EU operators from making funds or economic resources available to the organisation.
“Following its listing, the IRGC will also be subject to restrictive measures under the EU counterterrorism sanctions regime,” the statement said.
“This includes the freezing of its funds and other financial assets or economic resources in EU member states, and the prohibition for EU operators to make funds and economic resources available to the group.”
As a consequence of the decision, a total of 13 individuals and 23 groups and entities are now subject to restrictive measures under the EU terrorist list framework.
The EU Terrorist List is established under Common Position 2001/931/CFSP and operates independently from other sanctions regimes. The framework allows the bloc to impose targeted measures on persons, groups, and entities involved in terrorist acts.
According to the Council, the EU terrorist list is distinct from the EU sanctions regime implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), which focus primarily on Al-Qaida and ISIL/Da’esh.
“The EU Terrorist List, i.e., the sanctions regime set out in Common Position 2001/931/CFSP, is separate from the EU regime implementing UN Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) and targeting Al-Qaida and ISIL/Da'esh,” the statement clarified.
Beyond implementing UN-mandated sanctions, the EU retains the authority to impose restrictive measures autonomously.
The bloc may apply such measures to ISIL/Da’esh and Al-Qaida and individuals or entities associated with or supporting them, as well as against those who support, facilitate or enable violent actions by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The listing of the IRGC marks a significant development in the EU’s counterterrorism policy and underscores the bloc’s use of targeted sanctions as a tool to address security concerns.
The measures take effect immediately, binding all EU member states to enforce the asset freeze and related prohibitions under EU law.
