Terrorism
European Union designates IRGC as terrorist organization
The European Union has designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, further isolating the Islamic Republic regime for its role in killing thousands of Iranian protesters.
![An Iranian woman walks along a street in Tehran on January 31, 2026. Protests over economic grievances began in late December, and turned into a mass movement against the Islamic Republic. [Atta Kenare/AFP]](/gc3/images/2026/02/05/54496-iran_woman-370_237.webp)
By Noureddine Omar |
The European Union announced the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
This action places it on par with other terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The announcement was issued on January 29 by all 27 EU member states during a Foreign Affairs Council meeting.
It comes as the Islamic Republic regime in Tehran faces internal and external pressure.
The designation stems from the IRGC's subversive activities in several countries and its brutal crackdown on the Iranian people.
Brutal crackdown on protesters
"The recent actions of the Islamic Republic regime in Tehran towards the protesters had the greatest impact on this decision," Egyptian political analyst Abdul Nabi Bakkar told Pishtaz.
Public freedoms and civilian protection are central tenets of European laws and principles.
The Islamic Republic has exploited the peaceful European stance while continuing its "non-peaceful nuclear program despite its false claims," Bakkar added.
The Islamic Republic regime's nuclear ambitions have been and remain the main reason for international sanctions.
Furthermore, the regime's nuclear program has undermined confidence in it among most countries, international, and UN organizations.
Support for Russia's Ukraine war
While the West supports Ukraine against the Russian war, the Islamic Republic in Tehran has provided Russia with support, including various missile systems and drones.
"The IRGC's foreign policies, focused on creating proxies and supporting Russia, have resulted in its international and regional isolation," Sheyar Turko, an expert on IRGC said.
The Islamic Republic will now face significant isolation, both regionally and internationally, starting with this new designation.
What is noteworthy is the EU's designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, distinct from the Iranian state itself.
This is coupled with imposing new financial sanctions, freezing assets and funds, and restricting the movement of IRGC elements and officers.
"The next phase will be harsh on the Guard and its funding because the IRGC exploits freedom of movement in some countries to secure funds," Turko said.
Establishing an international network for illicit trade and money laundering is what the IRGC used to evade sanctions.
The decision aligns with the US's 2019 designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, which tightens the restriction on all its suspicious activities.
Public sentiment in Europe increasingly favors stricter sanctions against the IRGC for its destabilizing actions and role as a transnational network for terrorism and repression.
This will consequently worsen the volatile situation for the Islamic Republic and cause further protests due to the financial and economic pressures on the people.