The European Parliament on Wednesday called for the EU to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, blaming the force for the repression of protesters and the supply of drones to Russia, Reuters reported.
In a text backed by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers, the European Parliament condemned "the brutal crackdown by Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on the demonstrations after the death of Mahsa Amini, following her violent arrest, abuse and ill-treatment by Iran's 'morality police'".
The text called for the EU and its member states to include the IRGC on the bloc's terrorist list "in the light of its terrorist activity, the repression of protesters and its supplying of drones to Russia", according to Reuters.
A total of 598 members of the parliament voted in favor, while nine voted against and 31 abstained.
The European Parliament has no power to compel the EU to add the IRGC to its list, but the text proposed by Polish conservative lawmaker Anna Fotyga represented a clear political message to Tehran.
Designating the IRGC as a terrorist group would mean that it would be considered a criminal offense by the EU to belong to it, and any of its assets in the bloc would be frozen. It would also not be able to receive funds from EU citizens or businesses.
Protests have gripped Iran following the September 16 death of 22-year-old Amini after she was arrested by the morality police.
Hundreds of protesters have been killed in the nationwide unrest, including dozens of minors. In addition, Iranian authorities have executed several people who were convicted of involvement in the protests.
Wednesday’s vote came days after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that it is important that the EU blacklist the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
In a series of tweets, Baerbock noted that individual sanctions have been imposed on dozens of IRGC leaders since October.
She added that sanctioning individual members of the IRGC is not enough and that listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization is politically important and makes sense. Baerbock also noted that legal hurdles must be cleared before blacklisting the IRGC and that Germany has contacted the EU to clarify those requirements.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen welcomed Wednesday’s vote, saying, “An important step in the fight against the Iranian regime! I welcome the European Parliament's decision to recommend declaring the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization.”
“Iran exports terrorism to the entire world, and the Revolutionary Guards are the largest terrorist organization in the world. In the policy talks that I have had since taking office, I have raised before all the foreign ministers and leaders the importance of the fight against the Iranian regime, both in the nuclear field and in the field of financing and targeting terrorism,” wrote Cohen.
“I thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel at the Israeli missions in Europe and the Israeli Embassy to the EU in Brussels as well as the partners in the agencies for their efforts in this regard,” he added.