NCRI

EU Lawmakers Push for IRGC Terror Listing, Condemn Iranian Regime’s Aggression

Mehdi Oghbai

eu parliament voting

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to be included on the list of designated terrorist organizations. The motion garnered 357 votes in favor, 20 against, and 58 abstentions in Strasbourg’s plenary chamber.

A day earlier, on April 24, The European Parliament held a formal session, where members discussed the urgent need to adopt a resolution condemning the warmongering regime in Iran and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

The session was attended by Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

During the session, several members of the European Parliament expressed their strong condemnation of the Iranian regime’s actions, describing it as the “head of the snake of war and terror” in the region and a “global threat.”

Some MEPs called for the European Union to take decisive action, including listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization and recognizing the democratic opposition led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance, and her Ten-Point Plan.

During the debate, Guy Verhofstadt, a Member of the European Parliament from Belgium and former Prime Minister, expressed dissatisfaction with the current strategy towards Iran. He addressed the High Representative, Mr. Borrell, stating that this was his fourth debate on Iran with the same conclusion: the current strategy is ineffective.

MEP Verhofstadt called for a change in approach, criticizing the emphasis on diplomacy and appeasement, which he argued has yielded no results. He questioned the effectiveness of the sanctions imposed so far, suggesting they were insufficient.

MEP Verhofstadt urged for stronger sanctions targeting Iran’s leadership and advocated for recognizing the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Directly addressing Mr. Borrell, the former Belgian PM concluded, “Don’t start to continue with diplomacy towards the regime. It’s time to recognize the opposition and to have direct contact with them. They are the real representatives of the Iranian people.”

In his remarks, Spanish MEP Javier Zarzalejos emphasized the Iranian regime’s role in promoting aggression in the region. He pointed out Iran’s direct attacks on Israel and highlighted the involvement of its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

MEP Zarzalejos characterized Tehran as a global threat actively engaged in various conflicts, not limited to the Middle East but also extending to Ukraine. He criticized the notion that sanctions alone constitute a sufficient policy response, stressing the need for the regime to face consequences for its failure to fulfill obligations. He also expressed concerns about Iran’s theocratic regime, which relies on violent repression and terrorist activities, and warned of its potential nuclear capabilities.

In the end, MEP Zarzalejos said, “The Iranian people, the struggle of women, democratic opposition demonized by the theocratic regime in Tehran, all of these people and all of these organizations require the recognition and the support of the European Union for an Iran of peace and security in the future.”

Ryszard Czarnecki, a Polish Member of the European Parliament, emphasized the analysis provided by the Iranian Resistance over four decades, asserting that the Iranian regime is the primary instigator of conflict and war.

MEP Czarnecki pointed out the regime’s active involvement in two major conflicts threatening European peace and stability: providing drones and missiles to kill Ukrainians and instigating the war in Gaza, resulting in numerous casualties. He called for decisive action, urging the European Union to immediately designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

The Polish MEP concluded, “It’s high time to make Khamenei, the head of that snake, pay the price for making these wars. The European Union must immediately put IRGC on its terrorist list. We need to support the PMOI Resistance Units inside Iran and recognize their right to fight against the regime.”

Hermann Tertsch, a Member of the European Parliament from Spain, voiced concerns about the position of Mr. Borrell regarding the Iranian regime. He highlighted a tweet from five years prior, in which Borrell had praised the 40th anniversary of the clerical dictatorship, failing to criticize the regime’s human rights abuses and aggressive actions.

MEP Tertsch criticized Borrell’s lack of condemnation for a regime responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranian citizens and viewed Iran as a significant threat to the Middle East region.

Representing Portugal in the European Parliament, Francisco Guerreiro highlighted the coup d’état in Iran in 1953, which eventually led to the clerical regime and contributed to the current situation.

MEP Guerreiro said, “We have to support, of course, democratic forces in Iran which are calling for change. They want for a secular regime to be put in power, and we have to work for peace, in the direction of a peace process, a peace process in the Middle East which will culminate in a two-state solution.”

Milan Zver, a Member of the European Parliament from Slovenia, expressed criticism towards Mr. Borrell, highlighting his failure to unequivocally support the Iranian opposition led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and her Ten-Point Plan. Zver also noted Borrell’s lack of support for European Parliament members who have been labeled as terrorists by the Iranian regime. Zver voiced his support for designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

Antonio López-Istúriz White, representing Spain, dismissed the notion that diplomatic engagement and sanctions relief would deter Iran’s threats, asserting that Iran remains a significant menace.

MEP López-Istúriz White said, “Gone are the days when some naive politicians in Europe and America thought that they could sit down with the Ayatollahs, lift some sanctions, and think that the Iranian regime would no longer pose a threat to us.”

He highlighted Tehran’s role in supplying weapons to Russia, its sanctioning of European Parliament members, and its involvement in assassinations on European soil, citing the case of former EP Vice President Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras. He condemned the regime’s brutal suppression of peaceful protests and its support for terrorist organizations across various regions.

Mr. López-Istúriz White called for legalizing the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization and urged a united front against the Iranian regime’s threats.

David McAllister, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, cautioned about the recent actions of the Iranian regime, emphasizing that two weeks prior, the Iranian regime had emerged from the shadow of proxies, posing a risk of war to the entire region. McAllister described the Iranian regime as a terrorist entity and stressed that the IRGC has not yet been designated as a terrorist organization, stating that this is something that must be done immediately.

During the debate, Italian MEP Marco Campomenosi addressed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the role of the Iranian regime in exacerbating tensions. He highlighted the repeated calls from the Parliament to designate the IRGC as terrorists, a measure that the European Commission has thus far refused to implement.

The Italian MEP urged a deeper understanding of the root causes of the conflict, emphasizing, “There’s somebody in the area whose interest it is to destabilize and to extend the conflict, because the first objective of the Iranian regime is to distract the part of the population which still supports it from repression, the repression of youth, of young men and women who have tried with courage to oppose it.”

He also pointed out the regime’s role in sectarian clashes between Shias and Sunnis, as well as the Iranian regime’s influence on various groups in the region, including the Iraqi Kurds. He condemned the regime’s violence against Muslims, despite its claims to support Palestinian interests.

Lukas Mandl, a Member of the European Parliament from Austria, pointed out that Tehran’s aggression is not limited to using proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis but extends to financing terrorism and Islamist activities within Europe. He criticized the delay in designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization despite the European Parliament’s overwhelming vote in favor of such action in January of the previous year.

MEP Mandl expressed disappointment with the current High Representative’s failure to act decisively in this regard. He emphasized the need for a change in policies to prioritize European security and solidarity with allies.

Andrey Kovatchev, a Member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria, highlighted the Iranian regime’s role in destabilizing the Middle East and the Black Sea region during a recent parliamentary session. MEP Kovatchev also addressed the issue of threats to navigation in the Black Sea and emphasized the plight of the crew of the Galaxy Leader, who have been held hostage by the Houthis for about six months.

He urged action from Mr. Borrell to secure the release of these European citizens and emphasized the need to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization in Bulgaria and impose sanctions on it.

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