Europe should call Iran’s Quds Force what it is – a terrorist organisation ǀ View

Europe should call Iran’s Quds Force what it is – a terrorist organisation

Europe should call Iran’s Quds Force what it is – a terrorist organisation ǀ View

Last week, the US announced that it will designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. Noting that the IRGC “actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft,” the White House has signalled it is now going to take a tougher stance on Iran’s use of proxies abroad.

Europe should call Iran’s Quds Force what it is - a terrorist organisation
Europe should call Iran’s Quds Force what it is – a terrorist organisation

This move met mixed reactions from certain quarters, both in the US and internationally. Critics of the move fear that it may invite violent reprisals against troops stationed in the Middle East. Iran has already retaliated by designating US troops in the region as terrorists. In addition, there are fears that it may complicate pursuing diplomatic options with the Iranian regime in the future.

While these points have merit, they do not escape the fact that the global community needs to take a firmer stance against the IRGC’s support for terrorism. While European governments may hesitate to go as far as the US is designating the entire IRGC as a terrorist organisation, it is past time for them to act on the blatant aggression of the organisation.

Established in 1979 and officially tasked with preserving the Islamic Republic of Iran and the ideals of the Revolution, the IRGC has a wide-ranging and ambiguous mandate, playing a part military, part police and part intelligence role in the country.

Separate from the conventional police force and military, its focus is both international and domestic. The IRGC is Iran’s primary instrument for exporting the ideology of the Islamic Revolution worldwide and countering threats from abroad, but it also has a relentless focus on suppressing supposed enemies within Iran.

Read More: Euronews

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