Italy calls for EU to label IRGC a terrorist group over protest killings

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised Tajani’s announcement as an “important statement.”

By JNS

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday stated he would be asking the European Union to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, in response to Tehran’s massacre of thousands of anti-regime protesters in recent weeks.

“The losses suffered by the civilian population during the protests demand a clear response,” tweeted Tajani, who also serves as deputy premier in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s governing coalition.

“At the European foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, I will propose, in coordination with other partners, the inclusion of the Revolutionary Guards on the list of terror groups, as well as individual sanctions against those responsible for these heinous acts,” he added.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised Tajani’s announcement as an “important statement,” calling on Brussels “to make the necessary and moral decision to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization” in a post on X.

Sa’ar on Jan. 14 urged France to back the E.U. designation of the IRGC. Sa’ar made the appeal during a phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, according to a statement from Jerusalem’s top diplomat.

“For decades, the IRGC has acted to spread terror and destabilization in the Middle East and beyond,” stated Sa’ar. “Now, they are leading the murderous repression of the Iranian people, who are fighting for their freedom.”

The minister continued, “Designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization by the E.U. would be both a moral and an effective step and would send a clear message to the Iranian people: We hear your voice. You are not alone.”

The United States designated the IRGC a foreign terrorist organization in 2019, but the European Union has resisted similar measures despite ongoing debate among member states.