Iran declares EU militaries ‘Terrorist Groups’ after IRGC blacklisting

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist organizations , escalating tensions between Tehran and Brussels.

The statement comes days after the European Union agreed to designate Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group over its role in the violent crackdown on nationwide protests.

Citing a 2019 Iranian law, Qalibaf said the move authorizes reciprocal action against any country that classifies the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. The law was enacted after the United States first placed the IRGC on its terror blacklist and mandates Iran to respond in kind to similar foreign decisions.

Qalibaf made the announcement during a parliamentary session in which he and several lawmakers wore Revolutionary Guard uniforms in a show of solidarity with the force. Qalibaf himself previously served as a senior commander in the IRGC.

The decision further deepens diplomatic rifts between Iran and European nations already strained over Tehran’s human rights record, its handling of protests, and broader security concerns.

European officials have not yet issued an immediate response to Qalibaf’s remarks.