EU rejects Iran’s move to list European armies as terrorist groups

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The European Union has dismissed Iran’s decision to classify European armies as terrorist organizations, insisting that diplomatic engagement with Tehran must remain part of its foreign policy, Anadolu reports.

Responding to the announcement, EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni told the European Commission’s midday press briefing on Monday, “We reject the announcement of listing of EU armies as such and the accusation of terrorism altogether.”

El Anouni added that the EU expects diplomatic channels to continue functioning despite rising tensions following the bloc’s decision to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. He cited remarks by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, saying, “We expect diplomatic channels to remain open after the decision of listing IRGC as part of the EU terror list,” and stressed that “maintaining open channels with Iran must also be part and remain part of our toolbox, as part of our engagement when it is required with our counterparts.”

On the matter of Iran summoning EU ambassadors to Tehran, El Anouni described the action as “a diplomatic practice that is part of the Vienna Convention,” adding, “I will not here go into details in terms of what member states, when and how.”

Iran announced the designation of European armies as terrorist groups in retaliation after the EU applied the same label to the IRGC over its crackdown on recent protests prompted by worsening economic conditions. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the decision was taken under “Article 7 of the Law on Countermeasures Against the Declaration of the IRGC as a Terrorist Organisation.”

The EU has maintained that engagement with Iran is necessary, even amid disputes, to ensure continued dialogue and diplomatic relations.