France will now support the inclusion of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the European list of terrorist organizations, reversing a previous position of hesitancy. The decision comes amid a crackdown on protests in Iran that has resulted in thousands of deaths and arrests.
France Reverses Course on IRGC Listing
European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Thursday to finalize new sanctions in response to the ongoing unrest in Iran. Until recently, France had been reluctant to join the majority of EU member states pushing for the IRGC’s designation as a terrorist organization, following a similar move by the United States.
“The unbearable repression of the peaceful uprising of the Iranian people cannot go unanswered. The extraordinary courage they have shown in the face of the blind violence unleashed upon them cannot be in vain,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on X, announcing France’s support for the listing.
The IRGC, established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, plays a significant role in Iran, controlling substantial portions of the economy and armed forces. It also oversees Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
With France, Italy, and Germany now in agreement, the EU is expected to approve the listing on Thursday. The bloc also plans to impose asset freezes and visa bans on 21 individuals and entities, including high-ranking IRGC members.
Previously, some EU member states, including France, expressed concerns that designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization could jeopardize diplomatic ties with Iran and hinder efforts to secure the release of European citizens detained in Iranian prisons. Paris is particularly concerned about the fate of two citizens currently residing at the French embassy in Tehran after being released from prison last year.
The crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran, which began in December, has been the bloodiest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, drawing widespread international condemnation. Iranian security forces have killed thousands of protesters, according to reports, and activists believe the actual number may be significantly higher.
Other EU diplomats supporting the move emphasized the severity of the crackdown and the IRGC’s role in it, as well as its alleged terrorist activities abroad. “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck, and it’s good to call that out,” one senior EU diplomat stated.
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