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Iran's Foreign Ministry slams EU’s blacklisting of IRGC as 'Illegal, hypocritical'

Friday, 30 January 2026 3:24 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 30 January 2026 3:31 AM ]

The file photo shows the building of Iran's Foreign Ministry in Tehran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has condemned the European Union's decision to blacklist Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), calling it "illegal" and "hypocritical."

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said the IRGC is an inseparable part of the Iranian Armed Forces, which has played a great role in fighting terrorism in the region.

The ministry labeled the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization as a "dangerous" and "unjustified" step that undermines multilateralism and the rule of law.

The ministry accused the EU of aligning with the Zionist and US warmongering agendas.It slammed EU claims that its concerned over human rights in Iran as hypocritical, citing European support for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in its war on Iran and the EU’s complicity in brutal sanctions against Iran.

The ministry also cited the bloc’s refusal to take any action against the Israeli regime in the face of the two-year genocide in Gaza.

The EU classified IRGC as a terrorist organization on Thursday. “EU foreign ministers just took the decisive step of designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote in a message on X.

Iran had previously warned against European anti-Iranian moves, especially against the IRGC. Officials have emphasized that the IRGC is a legitimate military institution and warned that any action against it is illegal and a clear violation of the United Nations Charter.

Ismaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, had warned that labelling part of a country’s official armed forces is “not only against fundamental principles of international law, but also logically and politically very ill-considered and fraught with consequences.”

Iran's Armed Forces warn EU of ‘consequences’ of IRGC designation

Iran warns that the consequences of the EU’s decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization will directly affect European policymakers.

According to Baghaei, simply labeling an institution “that emerges from the Iranian people and is responsible for protecting the nation and the security of the Persian Gulf is a petty and illogical act,” and that Iran reserves the right to respond reciprocally.

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