EU designates Iran’s Pasdaran as a terrorist organization

Decision announced by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. New sanctions target senior Iranian officials and regime-linked entities

The European Union has designated Iran’s Pasdaran as a terrorist organization. The announcement was made by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas following a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

“The repression cannot go unanswered,” Kallas said in a social media post. “EU foreign ministers have just taken the decisive step of designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, known as the Pasdaran, as a terrorist organization. Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own downfall.”

The move marks one of the most significant escalations in EU pressure on Tehran. The Pasdaran, formally known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are considered a central pillar of Iran’s power structure and play a key role in internal repression, regional destabilization, and support for militant groups.

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the decision, calling it “important and historic.” Sa’ar said Israel had worked for years, and with renewed intensity in recent weeks, to achieve this outcome. Designating the Pasdaran as a terrorist organization, he said, will criminalize their activities in Europe and severely damage an entity that controls a substantial share of Iran’s economy, while sending a clear message to Iranians demanding freedom.

Alongside the designation, the EU Council approved new targeted sanctions against Iranian officials responsible for the violent crackdown on recent protests. Among those sanctioned is Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, a senior Pasdaran figure. In total, 15 high-ranking officials and judges, as well as six entities linked to the regime, were added to the EU sanctions list. Measures include asset freezes within the EU and travel bans.

According to the Council’s legal findings, Momeni oversees Iran’s law enforcement forces and also serves as deputy commander-in-chief of the Pasdaran. In this dual role, he is held responsible for the repression of demonstrations that resulted in hundreds of deaths. The Council also cited his handling of the August 2024 death of Mohammad Mirmousavi, who was tortured to death in custody. Momeni cleared security forces of wrongdoing and blamed the victim.

Other sanctioned individuals include Mohammad Mohavedi-Azad, Iran’s prosecutor general, accused of issuing and confirming unfair sentences against protesters and minorities and of threatening demonstrators with the death penalty for “rebellion against God.” Also listed are Seyed Majid Feiz Jafari, head of the national police force; Ahmad Ali Faizullahi, commander of the Pasdaran’s special forces brigade Saberin Takavar; and Judge Iman Afshari, identified as a key figure in issuing death sentences and lengthy prison terms against political prisoners, human rights activists, and ethnic and religious minorities.

Among the sanctioned entities is the Iranian Audio-Visual Media Regulatory Authority (Satra), accused of enforcing political and cultural censorship, including the suppression of dissenting opinions and content related to alcohol consumption, smoking, and the absence of hijab.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the publication of the names of all those killed during the latest wave of protests. According to the Mehr news agency, the move is intended to counter what the government describes as “fabricated claims and manipulated statistics.” Tehran says 3,117 people were killed, mostly members of the security forces, while activists and media outlets based abroad claim the death toll reaches into the tens of thousands.

With the Pasdaran now designated as a terrorist organization, the EU takes its toughest stance yet against Iran’s ruling power structure, deepening diplomatic isolation and increasing legal and financial pressure on the regime.

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