Iran to designate EU armies terrorist if anti-IRGC resolution passes

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Jan 2023 09:14
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The Iranian Parliament Speaker says Iran will use its tools to counter decisions such as the European Parliament's anti-IRGC decision.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf underlined on Sunday that Iran will designate European armies as terrorists in response to the European Parliament's decision to pass a resolution calling on the European Union to classify Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a "terrorist" organization.

During an open parliament session, Qalibaf condemned the European Parliament's decision and considered it showed that the pro-Zionist front has caused European countries to commit serious miscalculations.

The Iranian Parliament Speaker stressed that his country will use its tools to counter such decisions, adding that European countries have taken the wrong way against Iran's interests.

Qalibaf noted that the IRGC and regional people have overthrown the US-backed ISIS terrorist group, highlighting that the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps is the most unique anti-terrorist organization in the world that eliminated ISIS' global threat.

Elsewhere, the Iranian official condemned the European countries' sponsoring of media terrorism against Iran during the recent riots in the country.

Any anti-IRGC moves are doomed to failure: Raisi

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi said on Sunday that the IRGC plays a key role in combating the terrorists.

Iran’s President made the remarks in the Iranian parliament in reaction to the recent move by the European Parliament to designate the IRGC as a “terrorist” entity.

Any anti-IRGC moves are doomed to failure, he stressed, and no armed forces have combatted the terrorists like the IRGC did and still does, he further noted.

Regional armies admit the reality, he said, noting that any measures against the IRGC, like the other miscalculations of Europe, are doomed to failure.

The region would witness a different situation if the IRGC and martyr Soleimani were not on the scene, he underlined.

European Parliament shot itself in the foot: Amir-Abdollahian

On his part, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that Tehran will respond to the European Union Parliament’s blacklisting of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Referring to his presence in a closed session of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) on Sunday, FM Amirabdollahian said on Twitter that the European Parliament shot itself in the foot by proscribing the IRGC in a vote held earlier this week.

“The Majlis plans to reciprocate by including army elements of the European countries in (Iran’s) terrorism list,” said the Minister in his tweet that was written in Farsi, adding that parliament members had appreciated efforts by the IRGC to protect Iran’s national security.

امروز در جلسه غیرعلنی مجلس شورای اسلامی حضور یافتم.نمایندگان در حضور سردار سلامی از تلاش این نهاد حاکمیتی برای حفظ امنیت ملی قدردانی کردند. مجلس در اقدامی متقابل در صدد قرار دادن عناصر ارتش کشورهای اروپا در لیست تروریستی است. پارلمان اروپایی به پای خود شلیک کرد.پاسخ ، متقابل است.
— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) January 22, 2023

Qalibaf's remarks came one day after he issued a joint statement along with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, deeming the European Parliament's anti-IRGC decision as a part of the bigger anti-Iran hybrid war.

During their meeting at the Iranian presidential compound, Raisi, Qalibaf, and Mohseni-Ejei condemned the decision and underlined support for the IRGC.

"The IRGC is a part of the military power and armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been the source of meritorious service with a brilliant record in the defense of the glorious land of Iran for more than 40 years," the three said in their statement.

On Friday, a member of the Iranian parliament's presidium, Ahmad Naderi, also warned that the Iranian parliament will enforce legislative amendments that would recognize the armed forces of EU member states under the category of terrorist organizations if the EU proceeds to place the IRGC on its "terror list".