Six countries move to designate IRGC as terrorist organization after talks with Sa’ar

Lawmakers in Tehran, some wearing IRGC uniforms during the session, passed legislation targeting the militaries of EU countries that had included the IRGC on the list.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Six countries— Iceland, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Liechtenstein—have moved to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization after talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

The step follows diplomatic contacts between Sa’ar and foreign ministers from the six countries, the Jerusalem Post reports.

The decision comes alongside a broader US effort to encourage similar action.

The administration of US President Donald Trump directed diplomats this week to press allied governments to adopt terrorist designations against both the IRGC and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, citing what it described as an elevated risk of attack, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.

Separately, European governments have already taken steps in that direction. In January, foreign ministers of the European Union agreed to add the IRGC to the bloc’s terrorist list, placing it in the same category as Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

Iran reacted to that move with a measure of its own. Lawmakers in Tehran, some wearing IRGC uniforms during the session, passed legislation targeting the militaries of EU countries that had included the IRGC on the list.

The latest designations by the six countries reflect continued diplomatic engagement on the issue, as Israel seeks wider international recognition of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

The IRGC has become a central focus of these efforts as governments reconsider their approach to Iran’s military structures and regional activities.

The coordinated moves come amid heightened international attention on Iran and its affiliated groups, with governments weighing further steps in response to ongoing security concerns.