European Union designates Iran’s IRGC as terrorist organisation, citing mass killings of civilians

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The EU has designated Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist organisation in response to the deadly repression of protests that began in December 2025. The sanctions target the IRGC, Iranian officials, and entities supporting internet censorship.

Supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran wave Iranian flags and hold placards reading Blacklist Islmamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as they take part in a demonstration in support of the Iranian people in Brussels on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP)(AFP)

European Union foreign ministers have agreed to add Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the bloc’s list of terrorist organisations, marking a major escalation in Brussels’ response to Tehran’s violent crackdown on protesters.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed the decision on Thursday (January 29) in a post on social media platform X.

“EU Foreign Ministers just took the decisive step of designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation. Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise,” Kallas said.

New EU sanctions announced

Alongside the designation, EU foreign ministers adopted a fresh round of sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to the repression of protests and Iran’s support for Russia, EU diplomats said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the sanctions cover members of Iran’s government, judiciary, police and the IRGC, as well as entities responsible for internet censorship.

Crackdown fuels momentum

The move follows a brutal nationwide crackdown on protests earlier this month that left thousands dead, sharply increasing pressure within the EU to act.

While some member states had previously pushed to list the IRGC, others were cautious, warning the move could undermine diplomatic engagement with Tehran and endanger European citizens in Iran. France and Italy, which had earlier resisted the designation, threw their weight behind it this week.

“It’s important that we send this signal that the bloodshed that we’ve seen, the bestiality of the violence that’s been used against protesters, cannot be tolerated,” Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said.

Diplomatic channels to remain open

Despite concerns in some EU capitals that the designation could trigger a complete breakdown in relations with Iran, Kallas said diplomatic contacts would continue.

“The estimate is that still the diplomatic channels will remain open, even after the listing of the Revolutionary Guards,” she told reporters.

What is IRGC?

Formed after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the Shi’ite clerical system, the IRGC is the Islamic Republic’s ideological military force, tasked with defending the regime from internal and external threats.

The Guards wield enormous influence, controlling large parts of Iran’s economy and armed forces, and overseeing the country’s ballistic missile and nuclear programmes. Known domestically as the Pasdaran or Sepah, the organisation’s reach extends deep into Iran’s political and social life.

The IRGC is currently led by General Mohammad Pakpour, appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after his predecessor, Hossein Salami, was killed in an Israeli strike during the 12-day war in June 2025.

Rights groups accuse IRGC of abuses

Western governments and human rights organisations accuse the IRGC of militant activity abroad and systematic rights violations at home.

Amnesty International said this week that its evidence showed the IRGC and its volunteer paramilitary force, the Basij, were involved in the deadly repression of protesters.

“The intolerable repression of the peaceful uprising of the Iranian people cannot go unanswered,” Barrot said as he confirmed France’s backing for the designation.