Iran’s parliament has retaliated against the European Union by declaring the armies of European countries “terrorist groups.” The move comes days after the EU designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced the decision during a session on Sunday, which marked the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Republic's founder's return from exile. Lawmakers wore IRGC uniforms and chanted “Death to America” and “Shame on you, Europe.”
“Under Article 7 of the Law on Countermeasures Against the Declaration of the IRGC as a Terrorist Organisation, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups,” Ghalibaf stated, slamming the EU’s “irresponsible action.”
The law was originally passed in 2019 when the United States first labeled the IRGC a terrorist group. The EU's decision last Thursday, citing the IRGC's crackdown on domestic protests, aligned the bloc with the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Ghalibaf claimed the EU acted on orders from the U.S. and Israel, accelerating “Europe’s path to becoming irrelevant in the future world order.” He insisted the move had only increased domestic support for the Guards.
The tit-for-tat declarations come amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, with President Donald Trump recently dispatching a carrier group to the region. However, both sides have indicated talks are ongoing. “Contrary to the hype of the contrived media war, structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing,” said Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Trump later confirmed dialogue was taking place but did not withdraw his threats. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a call with Egypt’s leader, said “a war would be in the interest of neither Iran, nor the United States, nor the region.” AFP
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