Iran considers the European armies “terrorists”, after the EU measures against the Revolutionary Guards

Iran considers the armies of the EU countries that have included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the EU bloc's list of terrorist organizations to be “terrorist groups”, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on Sunday, quoted by Reuters.

The EU on Thursday marked a symbolic shift in its approach to Iran's leadership by designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization in the Islamic Republic's bloodiest crackdown on protests since its founding in 1979.

“By trying to hit the Revolutionary Guard (…) the Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot and once again made a decision against the interests of their people, blindly listening to the Americans,” Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told his fellow parliamentarians. All wore Revolutionary Guard uniforms in support of the elite force.

“According to Article 7 of the law on countermeasures against the designation of the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups,” he announced.

Qalibaf added that the parliamentary committee for national security will deliberate on the expulsion of EU countries' military attachés and will follow up on the issue together with the foreign ministry.

Established after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the ruling Shiite clerical system, the Revolutionary Guards wield great influence in the country, controlling much of the economy and the armed forces.