NCRI – What would be the effects of listing IRGC as a terrorist group on its activities beyond Iran’s geographical borders?
In his interview with Al-Arabiya on February 14, Dr. Mohammed Alsulami, head of (Persian) Gulf Center for Iranian Studies, answers this question:
“With IRGC listed as a terrorist group, Iranian regime’s activities abroad and its influence in Arab and African countries, such as Nigeria, as well as in Latin America will be completely crippled.
IRGC is divided into four divisions with which we need to be familiar so that we can block them. IRGC has its own military arm and affiliated groups and militias. It has also carried out a lot of investments. It has set up so-called cultural centers, which are actually centers for gathering intelligence, recruitment and promoting the ideology of vilayat-e-faqih. And the fourth division is related to IRGC’s so-called humanitarian affairs and charity organizations which actually serves as a cover for IRGC’s other activities and is directly headed by Khamenei.
These are IRGC’s four arms which constitute the main structure of Iranian regime’s activities abroad. IRGC and particularly its Quds Force are directly commanded by Khamenei’s viewpoints.
If the IRGC, with all divisions included, is blocked, or even if only its military wing is put under pressure, it would severely affect not only regime’s activities in foreign countries, but also the political composition and clash of rival bands within the regime.”
Dr. Mohammed Alsulami added: “courtiers in the region along with Western countries and the United States will have the responsibility to name IRGC as a terrorist group. What’s important in this regard, however, is that in addition to limiting and blocking IRGC’s investments and offering full support by these countries, they also need to apply political and diplomatic pressures to ensure that the resolutions will be implemented and that listing IRGC as a terrorist group will not be just ink on paper.
I’m expecting a change. If the Iranian regime feels threatened or IRGC and its forces in Syria feel threatened, regime’s positions will change, fearing the US policies. I believe that if the United States is serious about this, we will see changes coming.”