The European Union announced on Thursday that it would be designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
"Repression cannot go unanswered," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, wrote in a statement announcing the move.
Kallas called the move "decisive" and added that "any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise."
Earlier in the day, European Union foreign ministers approved a new round of sanctions on Iran on Thursday, targeting officials and bodies linked to the suppression of recent protests and Tehran’s backing of Russia, according to EU diplomats.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the measures cover members of Iran’s government, judiciary, police forces, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as entities involved in restricting internet access.
The designation places the force in the same category as groups such as the Islamic State and al Qaeda and signals a shift in the bloc’s stance toward Iran.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of the meeting in Brussels that organizations engaging in terrorist activity should be treated accordingly.
Some member states had previously expressed concern that such a move could damage diplomatic ties with Tehran or endanger European nationals in Iran. However, recent events, including a harsh response to nationwide demonstrations, increased support for the proposal.
Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said it was important for Europe to send a clear message that violence against protesters would not be accepted.
France and Italy, which had earlier opposed listing the IRGC, voiced their support this week. Barrot said France would also back the IRGC’s designation as a terrorist organization, ending its longstanding opposition to the move.
Barrot said sanctions would include travel bans and asset freezes against those responsible for abuses, adding that Iran must release detainees, halt executions, lift internet restrictions, and allow the UN Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission to investigate alleged crimes.
Kallas said that despite the decision, EU officials believe diplomatic channels with Iran would remain open.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar welcomed the decision to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, calling it "important and historic."
He noted that "for years, and with even greater intensity in recent weeks, Israel has worked to achieve this outcome."
"The number one actor in spreading terror and undermining regional stability has now been called by its name," Sa'ar exclaimed.
"Designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization will thwart and criminalize their activities in Europe. It will deal a significant economic blow to an organization that controls a vast share of the Iranian regime’s economy, and it sends an important message to the brave men and women of Iran who are fighting for their freedom. Above all, the legitimacy of this murderous and oppressive regime has suffered a powerful blow today," he added.