Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, “is a menace to the world,” the US State Department spokesperson told reporters on Thursday, when asked about European efforts to designate it as a terrorist organization.
Vedant Patel was asked during the daily briefing about reports that Germany and other EU countries are trying to persuade the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist entity. Patel responded:
“Well, let me just say unequivocally that the IRGC is a menace to the world. We absolutely support efforts to designate the IRGC a terrorist organization, and we support those efforts worldwide. As you know, this is something that the United States has done, already designating the IRGC, and it is a terrible purveyor of terrorism that we believe affects the entire world.”
The US designated the IRGC in 2019, during the Trump administration, while in 2022 there were reports that the Biden White House might lift that designation, during negotiations with Iran to revive the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal. It was reported in April 2022 that President Joe Biden made a final decision to maintain the status quo and informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was concerned about lifting the designation.
Since then, the administration has imposed many sanctions on IRGC-affiliated individuals and entities involved in Tehran’s missile and drone proliferation as well as money laundering and other activities in support of groups in the region that have also been designated as terrorist, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis. However, critics say that the administration has not vigorously enforced oil export sanctions on Iran, allowing the Islamic Republic to earn tens of billions of dollars with shipments to China.
Despite the Biden administration’s three-year-long efforts to restore the JCPOA, abandoned by former President Donald Trump, Iran has refused to make a deal, and has increased its uranium enrichment, stockpiling enough fissile material for several nuclear bombs. In recent weeks, Iranian officials have also threatened to shift their nuclear doctrine – an implicit threat to produce warheads.
Reports in the past week have indicated that France, Germany and Britian, signatories of the JCPOA, intend to field a censure resolution against Iranat the upcoming board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Unconfirmed reports have suggested that the Biden administration opposes such a censure, as it still holds secret talks with Tehran.
Patel was asked about these reports during the Thursday briefing. His response indicated that there are still unresolved issues but insisted there is coordination with allies. “We’re continuing to remain tightly coordinated on this with our E3 partners,” he said adding that “No decisions have been taken with respect to any particular upcoming Board of Governors meetings, but I will just say is that we, the United States, are actively increasing pressure on Iran through a combination of sanctions, deterrence, and international isolation.”