EU declares Iran’s Revolutionary Guard terrorist organisation

The European Union has designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, stepping up pressure on Tehran over its violent crackdown on mass protests and its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas announced the decision after a meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels on January 29, Caliber.Az reports. 

“Repression cannot go unanswered. 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 wrote on X.

Repression cannot go unanswered.

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.

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) January 29, 2026

Earlier in the day, EU foreign ministers also adopted a new package of sanctions against Iran in response to the violent suppression of demonstrations and Tehran’s continued backing of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The new measures target around 30 Iranian individuals and entities. They include the freezing of assets held within the European Union, a ban on EU citizens and companies providing funds to those listed, and entry bans to EU member states.

In late December 2025, widespread anti-government protests erupted across Iran, initially triggered by soaring inflation, rising food prices and the collapse of the national currency. The demonstrations quickly spread to dozens of cities, including Tehran, as anger broadened to include complaints about economic mismanagement and political repression.

Human rights groups and international media have reported thousands of deaths linked to the security forces’ crackdown. 

By Sabina Mammadli