The US government has officially classified the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization. This was announced by President Donald Trump in a message circulated by the White House.
The classification sends a clear message to the Tehran government „that their support for terrorists has serious consequences.“ It takes into account the fact that the Guards „actively“ operated, promoted and financed terrorism as an „instrument of state policy“, according to Trump. Even the elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards, the Al-Kuds Brigades, are affected.
Revolutionary Guards on Blacklist
Trump said it was the „first time“ that the Revolutionary Guards landed a „part of a foreign government“ on the blacklist. Iran is seen by the US as the biggest promoter of international terrorism.
The classification is accompanied by sanctions and the freezing of potential assets of the Guard in the US territory. In addition, US companies are prohibited from doing business with the Guard or otherwise supporting them.
The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are the elite unit of the armed forces in Iran and far more important than the classical army. They were founded after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran to protect the clerical government, but they are also active outside the country. In addition, the Garden has accumulated considerable economic power over the decades.
Tehran warns, Netanyahu thanks
As a first reaction, Iran, for its part, declared the US the „state sponsor of terrorism“. The reported state media. IRGC commander Mohammed Ali Dschafari had warned Washington against the move earlier this weekend. „If Americans really commit such a stupidity and put our national security at risk, then we will take operational action against them,“ the Tasnim news agency quoted him.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US decision. He said that Trump had fulfilled one of his demands. It is in the interest of Israel and the US and in the interests of other countries in the region. Netanyahu thanked his „dear friend Donald Trump“. The step of the US government took place one day before the general election in Israel.
60 groups are considered terrorist organizations
The State Department currently classifies 60 groups as „foreign terrorist organizations,“ including al-Qaeda and the terrorist militia „Islamic State“ and their allies. But none of these organizations is a state military.
