After the EU decided to classify the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, Iran declared the armed forces of EU member states to be “terrorist groups”. The statement was made by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

This reaction stems from a 2019 law that was enacted following the United States’ addition of the Guard to its terrorist list. The law provides for countermeasures against any nation that adopts the same designation. In practice, the impact of the EU’s listing on Iran’s perception of European armed forces is likely to be limited.